Corrupted File Exe
by PetalThorn
Summary: Frisk and the monsters have finally reached the surface, but it seems something is set on destroying the happy ending permanently. Frisk needs to learn to stand their ground when push comes to shove, and that you can't spare what doesn't want mercy.
1. An Old Friend

"All right," Toriel said as she watched Asgore and Papyrus work together to move a bunkbed across the large room of the house the group had built on Mt. Ebott. With floor plans, it looked like Papyrus's and Sans's house, except next to the stairs, there was an indent in the wall to form a door less room, where they were placing the bunkbed down. It was meant as a temporary room for Frisk until they built a few more homes.

"Just a few more steps," the female creature murmured. "One more…okay, you two can set it down."

With a grunt, they set the bunkbed down, both slightly exhausted. "Wowie!" Papyrus exclaimed as he leaned back against the wall in what little space was left between the wall and the bed. "That's heavier than I thought it was—of course, it's still nothing to the Great Papyrus!"

Asgore seemed to huff in amusement. "Though I do agree it weighed more than I thought it would."

Toriel giggled into her hand. "I didn't think the pillows on the upper bed would make it weigh much more."

Papyrus perked, and then looked at the top bed where a blue blanket covered over a mound. "Right, the pillows! We should get those in their proper places!" He reached for it, and then paused as he heard a chuckle, and a giggle. He raised a brow as he and Asgore looked at the blankets.

Slowly, the skeleton reached out, and pulled off the blanket, only to hear more laughter as Frisk and Sans sat up. "What—"

Toriel burst out laughing, leaning against the wall.

Asgore looked at her, and then chuckled. "You were in on this!"

"SANS!" Papyrus exclaimed as the smaller skeleton pulled the giggling child into his lap.

"Yeah?" he asked innocently as the child turned their head, burying their face into his hoodie.

"The bed was heavy enough as it is! You made it even harder! Honestly, you're more lazier than I thought!"

Sans smirked. "Oh, take it easy, Papyrus. After all, we barely even added—"

"Don't you dare Sans—"

"Two skele _tons_ to it."

"The Great Papyrus hates you right now."

The child and Toriel laughed helplessly before the child patted Sans's skull, and then whispered to him. "Hmm…oh?" He looked to his brother. "Frisk said they'll make spaghetti with you tomorrow to make up for it, how's that sound?"

"Really!?" he exclaimed, and then quickly regained his composure. "I mean—The Great Papyrus may accept your offer if he is free tomorrow."

Frisk clapped their hands happily as Sans set them down and jumped off the bed, while Asgore picked up the child and set them down on the floor, petting their head. They giggled, hugging his leg, before rushing over to Toriel, who knelt down, taking them into her arms. They beckoned her closer. "Oh?" she asked, before they whispered in her ear. She giggled. "Of course, Dear. I'm glad I could have helped you with this, and I must say, it was hard to keep from laughing before your reveal."

The king moved over. "It's dangerous for you three to be in the same room together," he joked. "Always creating little schemes." The child snickered, smiling as Papyrus adjusted the pillows and blankets so that they would be ready when it was time to go to bed. He looked around at the bland house. Due to it just being built, the rooms were just bare wood panels. All that had been brought in was the bunkbed.

However, that would change after they built the other houses. After those were built, they would worry about other furniture and appliances, though the kitchen did have some nonperishable foods in the one cupboard they had made for it, due to Frisk being a little kid who needed proper meals, and they didn't want them having to go back and forth from the Underground. The taller skeleton looked at the bunkbed before a thought occurred to him.

"Hey wait…" The others looked at him in confusion as he brought a hand to his chin. "This is a bunkbed, for Frisk…so who's the other member? Everyone except Alphys and Sans are too big for this, but Sans already has his own room and Alphys is still in her lab, right?"

Frisk nodded.

"So who's the other one that's bunking with you then?" Papyrus questioned.

The child smiled, and then raised a hand, pointing to the corner. They glanced over to look beneath a window where sunlight was streaming in. In a pot, was a golden flower which turned slightly when it felt stares on it. "What are you looking at?" Flowey demanded in annoyance.

Frisk waved a finger at them with a 'nuh-uh'. "Him!?" Papyrus exclaimed while everyone else shrugged helplessly. "But why?" Frisk came over, beckoning Papyrus to kneel, and then they whispered to him. "But he's a flower, he doesn't need a bed."

Sans snickered. "What, didn't you ever hear of flowerbeds?"

"SANS!"

The child shook their head in amusement, and then murmured some more to Papyrus. "But I really don't think you should be left alone with him…" Papyrus mumbled. They sighed as the kid continued. "Well, true, I guess he can't do much with just a flower pot's worth of soil. And yes, I guess if he had the lower bunk, he can't climb up to you, and if he wouldn't be hurt if he fell off…Yes, I know you have your stick if things got out of hand…I still don't like it though…"

Their response was to hug him, and nuzzle him briefly, before suddenly pulling on his hand. "Whoah! What's the rush!?"

Asgore chuckled. "I promised them we'd go see the pond we found yesterday."

"Hope you fall in," Flowey muttered under his breath.

The others looked at it oddly while Frisk hurried over and whispered to the flower with a giggle, before darting off as the flower whipped around. "If you dare drench me with that over world water, I'll make you regret it! SOMEHOW!" He made an exasperated sound as Frisk got the water can by the door despite the threats.

Sans suddenly smiled. "Hey, Frisk. Does, Mr. Take over the World need a 'reign' check?"

They stared blankly, before they got it, and then laughed, shaking their head and making the okay sign. As terrifying as Flowey could be, he couldn't do anything in a flower pot, and thus, was harmless. Plus, he was still in the sunlight. And like it or not, he needed water. They opened the door, hopping excitedly, waiting for the others to go out first. After everyone else stepped out, they waved goodbye to Flowey, and then hurried out to go see the pond.

Sure enough, when Frisk came back, they watered Flowey. He made a loud fit the entire time, but they ignored it, even when he flailed his 'head' wildly to cause as much trouble as possible, even though the water had a soothing cool touch to him, and actually felt rather nice. He was simply too stubborn to accept it happily.

When night came around, Frisk had made a nest out of the lower bunkbed's blanket, and put Flowey in the center, making sure he couldn't easily fall off the bed if he somehow managed to topple himself over. They patted his head, wagging their finger out of his reach when he formed his razor sharp teeth. The message was clear. No bite.

Flowey growled his annoyance while Frisk grabbed their stick and climbed the ladder. Then, they wedged their stick between two bars of wood as Toriel made certain that there was no way in heaven that Frisk could somehow roll off, so it had a mini set of bars like a crib would. The child grabbed the bars and then leaned forward to see Flowey, their hair falling down with gravity. The flower glared at them in return. They waved, and then ducked out of sight, finally going to bed.

The monsters weren't in, and actually, wouldn't be coming anytime soon. Toriel and Asgore would be in the castle, sleeping in their private rooms, and the skeleton brothers were off gathering wood. Frisk had promised to keep the door locked and to not come out until they returned. Even if they wanted to stay, there was nowhere else to sleep but the floor as the only bed was Frisk's. In short, it would be just Frisk and Flowey until morning. Not that it really mattered, it would take a large animal to bust in.

Frisk breathed out softly as they got comfortable. Tonight, it was Flowey sleeping below them. They had asked for a bunkbed because of him, yes, but it was in the hopes that one day, instead of a flower, they would be bunking with a little boy with a tender heart. Of course, they dare not say a word about it to Toriel, but they had a feeling that Asgore already knew…and maybe Sans. He was the type to figure those things out without much effort.

Eventually, they fell asleep, and the night dragged on. Flowey slumbered as well, his head bowed, bobbing slowly as he breathed. Sometime during the middle of the night, a shadow fell over Flowey. He stirred and opened his eyes to see a child standing by the bed, silently looking at him with those usual nearly closed eyes. "What are you doing?" Flowey muttered. "Go back to bed, Frisk."

They smiled, and opened their eyes. Flowey began to tremble, his own eyes widening as red crimson orbs lit in the darkness of the home. "Frisk?" they asked, giggling softly. "Oh, prince, we know that isn't my name."

"Y—yo—you," Flowey stammered, quivering harshly. "H—how are you?"

They held up a key chain with a smirk. "Tell your family that using the same key from the former house is stupid…or was that not the question? How am I here in this reset?" they asked, smiling widely. "Oh, clever Flowey. Going onto the brink of death, and as you died, you slid into another save. Yes, you trapped me in a dying 'file', let's call it that. Sure, put me where you'll never tread again."

"Y—you got out—how?" he demanded weakly. "I never touched it again after I escaped."

They smirked. "It was all you, Flowey. When you fought sweet little Frisk with your beast…" The red eyed child chortled softly. "Save and reload, save and reload. Remember when they stopped working?" They smirked. "When those files corrupted, it affected mine too. I got out, and I got to this one. And now…"

They picked up the flower pot, cradling it in an arm, knowing the flower was too frightened to even struggle with them, plus in the pot, he was harmless. He only had a few inches worth of dirt, and nothing to work with even if he tried to fight back. All he had were his teeth, but they weren't all too concerned. They turned, stepping away from the bunk bed, and grabbed something in their spare hand.

If Flowey had a heart, it would have been hammering in his chest as he saw them raise it. The real knife. "Recognize this, Prince?" they asked. "Yes, I tried to kill you with it. Well, sadly, you got away. Time to finish the job now that you can no longer reset." They raised the blade, a glimmer of moonlight bouncing off it. Then, they plunged it down.

There was a cry. A snap. A grunt. And the sound of shattering ceramic as Flowey was dropped to the ground, the pot breaking. The flower turned, eyes widening. Frisk had woken, and taken their stick before launching off the bed and crashing down with such force that when their stick met the other's head, it snapped. Frisk panted, grasping what was left of the stick as they breathed harshly. They rarely ever attacked, and it stunned them that they had to in the moment.

However, the other one got up, rubbing their head briefly before turning. "So this is Frisk?" they asked with a laugh. "My, my. I hope that wasn't the best you've got." With a cackle, they lunged and tackled the other child, ramming them against the bed. "Just some easy Execution Points, you pathetic twerp!" They took their blade, swinging it down. Frisk gasped and rolled before leaping away, tumbling across the floor before lunging their feet.

However, the other child was just as swift, and a moment later, Frisk shrieked in pain, a blade in their shoulder. They dropped to their knees, tears flowing freely doing their face as Flowey watched helplessly from where they had fallen. "What? Don't you have any endurance?" They snorted. "Good lords, you have no level of violence, no wonder you're hardly a challenge." They snickered as Frisk tried to crawl away. They took the blade, and ripped it out, causing Frisk to shriek and fall down flat. "You can't run away from me!"

"C—Chara!" The red eyed child turned to see Flowey propping himself on the floor, surrounded by dirt and ceramic shards. "It's me you want, right!?"

They stared, and slowly smirked. "Oh? Got a heart now?" They turned, looking demonic as they tilted their head with a wide smile, their red eyes glowing as they held the bloodied blade. "Don't worry, you're next. In case you've forgotten, it's not just you I'm after. I'll see this world to Hell once I'm done with you two. We both know I have the power."

Chara turned with a frown as Frisk whimpered something. "What was that, runt?" They knelt, cupping an ear. "Oh, who am I?" They laughed. "An old friend of this Prince. We once destroyed a world together…until he realized I was stronger than everyone—including him. So he fled like the coward he is."

They grabbed the collar of Frisk's shirt, and yanked the wounded child up. "As for you, I'll take you down slowly," they practically purred, before tossing them against the wall. Frisk gave a pitiful squeak as they fell to the floor, trembling. Flowey stared, eyes wide in horror as he watched.

He couldn't fight—heck, he could hardly move! There was no way he could help! He looked around. Frisk didn't even have a weapon now! The room was bare—there was nothing else. Think—think—! His eyes landed on the door, and that was when Flowey noticed that it was opened—just a crack, but regardless, it was open. If he could get out there where there was a good amount of soil…he had a chance to survive.

The flower winced as another shriek met his ears. They whipped their head around to find that they had stabbed the child. Frisk sobbed pitifully, not wanting to fight, and now unable to fight as Chara slowly whittled down their health. They were taking only one bit of health away with every strike, enjoying every bit of their crying and screaming; whimpering and moaning, sobbing and blubbering.

Chara went to pull back the blade, and frowned when they found it was stuck. They went on tiptoes, and laughed. "Oh, wow! I got it into the wall, no wonder it's not budging!" Flowey all but cringed, barely remembering a painful sensation like that. He had to move…and with that, the flower literally began inch worming his way across the floor, with only bits of soil still clinging to his roots.

Frisk whimpered, but caught sight of Flowey. They didn't know what his end goal was, but if Chara came to kill him, then at least if they distracted Chara, he could get away, so they continued to cry. Not that it was hard to do. "Oh," Chara cooed. "Is the precious little baby hurt—well too bad! In this world of to kill or be killed, you took the wrong path! You're weak, you're pathetic, all because you think you're so special and can't hurt a soul!"

Flowey frantically moved, but he was barely making any progress. Oh blast those skeletons, if only the bedroom had been by the door! He couldn't stop though, if Chara caught sight of him, he was done for. He oddly felt sick though as Frisk shrieked. "Oh, hey, I got it loose. Hope you didn't need that blood through. My, you're ruining that pretty shirt with it." They paused. "Wait, on second thought…" They chortled. "I think red looks delightful on you!"

Sixteen. Frisk was at sixteen. The child always knew how much their heart could take. Sixteen more hits—they cried out. Fifteen. The pain hurt more than anything. They tried to struggle. Without a weapon, they couldn't fight. They didn't have health items on hand because they didn't think they'd need any now. Their choice of actions…there wasn't any. And like with Asgore, there was no Mercy option for them to even attempt.

Chara laughed, stabbing at them over and over. They avoided the head though as they whittled down their health. The blade cut into their arms and legs, but it was mainly their torso that Chara took pleasure in dealing wounds. It hurt, they couldn't stop crying and screaming. Ten, it was ten now, and they couldn't do anything as Chara kept them against the wall.

"My!" Stab. "My!" A scream. "Aren't you weak!?" Slash. "You're like that kid!" Screech. "Easy Execution points." Thud. Five. "You." Four. "Are." Three. "Going too." They raised the blade. One. "DIE!" Squish.

Frisk shakily looked up, only to gasp in horror as a spiked vine protruded through Chara's chest. Chara stared down in surprise before both children turned to the door. Flowey was just outside, placed in the soil, panting in a panic. Chara looked back down, and then growled. "Annoying little thing, aren't you?" they asked as their shirt started to be stained with red.

The vine yanked them out of the house as Frisk fell to the floor, and the vine coiled tight. However, despite what should have been pain, Chara smiled. "Go ahead, Flowey, go kill me. I may not reset in the way I used to but…" They laughed. "I'll be back, that I promise." Something snapped in the flower, and the vine squeezed tight. They went limp, but their body simply faded out of existence.

Flowey breathed shakily, staring in utter horror. They were back—how!? This wasn't a tainted file! In the house was the pacifist—how was this one able to move through worlds like that!? They—wait—FRISK! A thornless vine reached into the house to grab the child as a bed of flowers sprouted. They gently laid the child down. "Frisk!"

The child's eyes fluttered open, before they smiled weakly, and gave him the okay sign. "OKAY!? YOU CALL THIS OKAY!?" They nodded and held up a single finger. "I don't care—how do you restore health!?"

They pointed to their mouth as they opened it. "Food? What kind of—" Flowey perked, and then had his vine enter the house again, fumbling around the counter, until he finally managed to bring something forth. He paused when he found that it was just some monster candy, but he gave it to Frisk anyways. They slowly took the candy, and put it in their mouth. They ate it, and swallowed. To Flowey's surprise, a good amount of the wounds had healed just from that little treat.

They beckoned him closer, and murmured to them. The flower flinched and looked away. "They're…they're a mistake…something that shouldn't exist in this reset…" His eyes narrowed. "They're my mistake."

Frisk wanted to ask more, however, they still seemed exhausted, their little chest shakily rising and falling. Flowey sighed in relief. Then he focused. If the brothers were still on the surface, his abilities would find them. Then they could come back. Frisk would be all right…

They had to be.


	2. Check the Perimeter

"Sans! Look out, it's gonna fall on you!" Papyrus exclaimed as the tree he had been hacking away at with one of his specialized bones began to fall in the direction it wasn't even supposed to of been going, despite his cautions. The tree fell seemingly in slow motion before a blue glow started to surround it, and then it stopped entirely, its trunk just inches above Sans's head as his left eye glowed.

Sans flicked his hand, and the tree was moved, and slowly set down out of harm's way. "SANS!" Papyrus exclaimed and rushed over. "Oh geeze, I'm so sorry! Are you all right!?"

"I'm fine, bro," Sans replied. "But could you get those trees to—"

" _Sans._ "

" _Leaf_ me alone?"

"SANS!" Papyrus exclaimed in frustration, as Sans laughed. His brother was fine if he could still make stupid jokes with word play. Papyrus huffed, folding his arms. "If you aren't going to help me cut down trees, then can you at least lie around somewhere where they won't fall on you?"

"Sure."

"…you're not moving."

"I know."

"Why?"

Sans hooked a thumb in another direction. "There's trees over there you can cut down that can't fall on me."

Papyrus made a long exasperated sound. "You're lazy even with safety precautions!" The skeleton sighed. "We need to get more wood for houses, brother. The work force is counting on us because we can keep going much longer. Even though I rather do this during the day."

"It's because the humans might see the trees falling up here and get suspicious," Sans replied.

"Frisk said they don't come up here."

"Definitely not at night, but Frisk is living evidence that some do stray up here. And even if we are high up, we don't want attention from humans—not yet."

"I know; we want to look somewhat civilized before we meet them. I understand that. At least we can see decently in the darkness."

Sans gave a sharp breath of amusement. "It's not like it's any different from being underground."

Papyrus huffed, and then changed topics. "Do you think it's safe for that flower to be with Frisk?"

"He's harmless in that pot, and Frisk knows to be careful with his teeth…this isn't like you though, Papyrus. You're the type of guy to hope there's always good in someone, despite everything they did. I bet if Frisk was as bad as humans are rumored to be, you would have still given your all to befriend them. That's how you work."

"I know, but with that flower…you heard what he says to Frisk sometimes. That he doesn't have a soul. Alphys talked about it too. He's an unexpected result with her research. Can something without a soul…if all he's done so far without a soul is cause pain and harm to others…then can something without a soul be able to show kindness? Or even in their depths of their soulless forms, is there just more emptiness and darkness?"

Sans looked up at his brother in surprise. Papyrus was by no means an idiot—in fact he could be rather clever with his puzzle designs, but for something that…dark, to come from his brother was strange. It was an analysis of the situation, and a good one, but still strange coming from Papyrus. Then again, maybe with Undyne's training he was becoming a bit more mature with things like this.

"I guess we'll find out," Sans replied quietly. "If you want to keep an eye on that flower though, that's fine. It just means you're looking out for the kid, which is probably a good idea. That kid is too nice. They might be able to persuade most enemies to stand down, but one day, they could find someone who shows no mercy, and wants no mercy. And when that happens…what're they gonna do?"

Papyrus nodded slowly. "I guess that's when we'll come in and deal with it." The taller skeleton smiled as he twirled a blue bone. "After all, we'll fight for them if the need arises."

Sans chuckled. "That we would. Remember when we did it when that flower attacked and they couldn't move? I've never seen someone filled with so much joy despite all the danger when we all tried to fight back."

The taller brother laughed, as he recalled the memory. "They're resilient, all right."

"No they're not." Sans smirked. "They're _determined_. There's nothing stronger, or more dangerous than that. Anyways, you gonna stand there or cut down some trees that won't fall on your brother?"

"I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THE TREES BECAUSE OF YOU!" Papyrus whirled around to get to work, but as he moved forward, something popped out of the ground, causing him to jump back in surprise.

"Sans! Papyrus!" Sans snapped to attention, turning to see Flowey.

"He got out!?" Papyrus exclaimed.

Sans leapt up, blue eye blazing. "Try anything funny, and I promise, you're gonna have a bad time."

"Now's not the time for that you idiots—! Something attacked the new house! Frisk is hurt!"

Sans jerked. "What!?" He grabbed his brother's hand. "We're tacking a short-cut!" he barked, and they tore off through the trees while Flowey disappeared back into the earth.

Moments later, Sans and Papyrus were rushing up to the house. They slid to a stop when they found the child in the flowers. Papyrus dropped to his knees. "Frisk!" he exclaimed, his arm coming under the child's chest as he tenderly lifted them slightly.

Sans moved around, stooping down. "Kid? KID!? Can you hear me? Wake up, kiddo! Don't do this to me!"

The two went still for several moments, with Papyrus's bones rattling. Relief flooded through them though when the child stirred, and then raised their hand, wiggling their fingers in an improvised wave. Both of the skeleton's practically sank in relief. "Good gods, Frisk!" Papyrus exclaimed. "Are you trying to find ways to give the two of us heart attacks!?"

They blinked, and then shuddered with laughter at that, giggling at the idea of somehow giving skeletons heart attacks. They winced though, and Papyrus squeaked, treating the child like they might break. "How bad are you hurt?" They raised both hands, with nine fingers raised.

"Not as bad as we thought," Sans murmured in relief.

"They were at one before I came to get you two." The two turned to see the flower. "I was able to use a vine and get them some monster candy, but it was a close call."

"What even attacked?" Sans demanded.

"Not now," Flowey hissed. "Can we please just go back to the underground? It's solid rock between here and the castle, so I can't get through to it on my own."

Sans nodded. "Papyrus, hold Frisk, I'll grab the flower." His brother gingerly scooped up the battered child while Sans dug up the flower into his hands. "Tori has some flower pots in her house to use, at least. Papyrus, grab my hood, we're taking another short cut." His brother was tall enough to easily carry the child in one arm, so the request wasn't ridiculous.

With that, Sans moved around the house, and sure enough, they somehow managed to show up in front of the King and Queen's home. They moved into the living room where Sans dropped Flowy ungracefully into a pot. "Sorry, gonna have to share with the other flowers," Sans said, before hurrying into the kitchen, and then raced back with a slice of Butterscotch and Cinnamon Pie.

Frisk raised their head at the smell of their favorite dessert, and began reaching for it. Sans huffed. "Tori was gonna surprise you with this, but you need to heal, so eat up." Frisk hummed, and quickly began eating it, their wounds healing as they went. However, it didn't remove the blood that stained their shirt, nor the tears that covered the thing, basically turning it into ribbons.

"Should we tell the others?" Papyrus asked nervously.

"Not right now," Sans said. "Not gonna do us any good to track something down in the middle of the night on a mountain side. Let's just have kiddo finish eating that, and then take them to their room. They can change out of those clothes and get some rest. We'll let Toriel give them a bath in the morning."

"And what about after that?" Papyrus asked.

"I want to go back and look at the house," Sans said. "Something's rubbing me the wrong way."

"Don't think I'm going to let you go alone," Papyrus chided.

"Sure, let's just have one guy go alone with a vicious who knows what running around…of course we're going together, Papyrus."

Frisk laughed softly, while Papyrus seemed to smile a little. "At least you can cheer them up."

"I guess I'm just—"

"Sans, please—"

" _San_ sational."

"Oh gods, why?"

"Kid's laughing, aren't they?" they said as they motioned toward the giggling child.

"I suppose so," Papyrus grumbled as Frisk finished eating the slice of pie, any signs of their injuries having completely vanished. "All right, Frisk, done?" They nodded, and Papyrus stood with them, taking them to the children's room.

Sans huffed and picked up the pot he had dropped Flowey into. "Might as well take you too," he grumbled.

Flowey hissed his distaste, fidgeting uncomfortably as he realized he would be brought back into his old room. However, he couldn't do much as Sans followed after his brother. Papyrus set Frisk down by the dresser while Sans placed Flowey's pot on the other bed. "Okay, kid, get changed, and get some sleep. We'll talk about what happened in the morning when you aren't about to greet the floor with your face."

They gave a thumb's up to that plan, and then opened the dresser as the skeleton brothers left the room, closing the door behind them. They turned to Flowey, staring silently. "What?" the flower growled. They made a circle motion with their finger. "Turn around? Do you think you can command me, why would I—" He paused, it suddenly clicking. Oh.

Ohhhhhhh. With a hiss, he turned around, muttering harshly while the human giggled and started to change.

The human was swift, and then practically fell onto their bed, exhausted. While they slumbered though, the brothers had returned to the house. Sans pushed the door opened fully, glancing around. "Well, at least the house can't look trashed from a fight," he said as a glow came to his eye. "Papyrus, look for where it got in, I'll see what happened in here. And holler if you see anything."

The taller brother nodded. "Right, I'll check the perimeter." Sans smiled, seeing that Papyrus could use his Royal Guard training again. With that, Sans moved in, scanning the dark house. Some things on the kitchen counter had been knocked over, but that was probably from Flowey trying to get Frisk some food.

He moved over to the bed, looking down to see the broken flower pot and loose soil, as well as Frisk's stick. He picked up the pieces, frowning. Had Frisk really used so much force that the stick broke? True, it was no real weapon, but it wasn't a measly twig either. He looked at the end of it, frowning. There didn't seem to be any blood on it. Whatever it was…it had been tough enough to resist a blow that was so harsh that the weapon had snapped in two without suffering so much as a scratch.

Sans used his foot to push some of the pot pieces away from each other, making sure he hadn't missed anything from the clutter as he quietly read the scene. Whatever it was had probably grabbed Flowey, so Frisk jumped from the bed with the stick and crashed down on them. That was the only way the kid could have put so much force into an attack…and it was likely enough to drop the flower pot, even if the enemy didn't suffer a scratch.

The small skeleton turned, his eyes scanning the floor. He doubted the fight went upstairs, so he continued his search. He paused though as he something staining the floor. A few specks in the middle of the room. He knelt down, his glow becoming brighter, before he realized what it was. Blood. Frisk's most likely. "Good grief, buddy…" He was going to have to ask Alphys for something to clean this up before Toriel saw it. Heaven knew the Queen didn't need to know how badly the kid had been hurt.

He started to get back up, only to freeze completely as he found a blood stained wall. The glow went brighter, acting like a wild fire as Sans put a few more pieces of the puzzle together. The kid had been pinned to the wall, and when he thought about it, he remembered the wounds. Slash marks. A knife. And what riled him even more was that a sliver of him knew what type of weapon it was. It hadn't been a toy, and if Flowey was telling the truth of Frisk being on one health. Then whatever attacked was sadistic, slowly torturing the child.

Sans's eye blazed as he growled softly. "Someone's in for a bad time," he growled lowly.

"Sans?" The skeleton jerked his head up, stuffing a glowing hand into the pocket of his hoodie as he saw his brother leaning in the doorway.

"Yeah, Papyrus? Find anything?"

Papyrus paused, and Sans swore he was somehow pulling off raising a brow. Then, he shook his head. "Nothing," he said, before kneeling to look at the lock on the door. "No broken windows, or busted wood…and the door doesn't look like it was forced open…I even climbed up on the roof, but I didn't see any forced entry points. And we know Frisk locked the door, we checked it ourselves before leaving."

"Well, that's worrisome," Sans murmured. "Whoever got in there had a key…" He looked to his brother. "Tomorrow, let's ask Alphys to make a completely new key and then change the lock. That will at least stop them from entering again, and Frisk can't sleep here alone anymore…not that I think they'd want to after all this."

Papyrus nodded slowly in understanding. "Did you find anything?" he asked.

"Nothing you need to see, Bro." Sans huffed as Papyrus folded his arms. "Trust me. All it does is confirm what we already know. Frisk was hurt, and they were hurt bad. Anything else we want to know will have to wait until morning."

"I suppose so," Papyrus murmured as Sans snapped his fingers, a blue glow coming around the broken flower pot shards, the soil, before glancing down at the broken stick in his other hand.

"Let's go see Alphys," Sans suggested. "We need to clean up the mess in there, get a new key, and then see if she can fix the stick, we both know Frisk liked carrying this around."

"And if she can't get the stick, I'll scour the forests for a duplicate!" Papyrus vowed.

Sans snorted. "I don't doubt that, Bro." Then, he grabbed his brother's hand. "Come on, I know a shortcut to Alphys's."

"You know a shortcut to everywhere in the Underground," Papyrus replied.

"Yeah. Pretty useful, huh?"

Papyrus pulled off a dead-pan look at his brother. "Modest tonight, aren't you?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

Papyrus huffed. "Do you think Alphys is still up?"

"Undyne said that she's basically up at 'night' all the time. Chances are pretty good," he said as they suddenly showed up in front of her lab. Sans gave a loud knock, and then looked to his brother. "Do you know what key we should ask her for?"

"No, what?"

"A skeleton key."

"SANS!"


	3. Relish the Thought

**Author's Note:** Well, fan fiction sadly does not like Sans's 'spaced talking' so, _**this means he's doing the spaces between every letter.  
**_

* * *

It took a few moments, but sure enough, Alphys opening the door, shyly adjusting her lab coat. "H—hey…" she managed timidly. "N—need something?"

Sans nodded. "We need a new key—"

"Not a skeleton key," Papyrus insisted.

"—for the new house," Sans finished. "New key and lock, all that."

"I can do that…anything else?"

Sans held up the broken stick. "Think you can patch this up for our little buddy?"

"Uh…I'll erm…see what I can do?"

"No worries if you can't," Sans's brother said. "I, the Great Papyrus, will find a new one if need be."

 _Wouldn't that be easier anyways?_

"Erm, anyways," Alphys murmured. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, where's Undyne?" Sans asked. "Papyrus needs to talk to her."

"Wha—" Sans elbowed his brother.

"We had an odd event," Sans explained. "Undyne would be interested in hearing it."

"Right," Papyrus murmured.

"She's upstairs," Alphys replied. "She fell asleep here, so I just decided to do an all-nighter on uh…things."

Without another word, Papyrus was off to the stairs. "Undyne!"

Sans watched his brother go, and then beckoned Alphys with a finger. "Don't ask, but got anything that cleans up blood? I rather not have anyone see the mess, and don't worry. I'll relay that stuff to Undyne…later."

Alphys went pale and nodded shakily. "Y—yeah—over here," she stuttered as she led the smaller skeleton off. "Is…everything all right?"

"For now," Sans said simply as he walked after her. "I'd keep an eye on things with those cameras of yours," he said. "Maybe install a few on the mountain as well. I'm afraid you'll have to save your questions for later, I don't have all the answers right now."

She nodded and handed him a large squirt bottle. "This will get rid of the—uh…" She looked sick. "Blood," she managed. "Um…I guess, if you need anything else…"

"I'll come back," Sans assured as he drew it close, hiding it in his hoodie, before turning to see his brother racing down with Undyne.

"Okay," the tall fish like female said. "I want to see this, what's going on?"

Sans offered out a hand. "Up for a shortcut?" he asked.

Undyne huffed, and took his hand. "Stay here, Alphys, I'll be back after I get this all cleared up."

Alphys nodded. "I'll check my cameras for anything, and I'll text you if anything comes up."

"Sounds like a plan," Undyne said before allowing the skeletons to lead her out. Papyrus explained a bit more of what happened as Sans somehow got them back to the new house without delay.

"Hey, bro," Sans said. "Stay outside and keep a lookout, all right? I'll show Undyne everything else."

"Right, I'll be on patrol for any signs of danger!" Papyrus vowed.

With that said, Sans led Undyne in to explain a few extra details, and clean what they could.

Morning came though, with Frisk stirring. They awoke with a yawn, glancing at Flowey. He was still asleep apparently, so they decided to go find Toriel. They slipped out of the room, sniffing the air. There was the smell of food from the kitchen…so Toriel was already up.

They smiled and adjusted their clothes before heading over to the kitchen. They poked their head in, snuck over to her, and lightly tug on her attire. Toriel paused in her work, and looked down with a smile. "There you are, Frisk. Did you sleep well?" The child beckoned her down, and whispered in her ear. "A bath? Of course, we'll do it right after breakfast."

Breakfast rolled by, and eventually, the child was taken for their bath. They sighed happily as the warm water surrounded them, with bubbles covering the surface of the water. They leaned back with a hum, their head resting against Toriel, who had worn a plain simple gown to go into the bath with. She laughed softly as she gently poured warm water onto their head. "Does that feel good?" she cooed at the practically blissful child that was about to be coaxed back to sleep as Toriel washed their hair.

They giggled, and raised a soap covered hand, petting her muzzle, leaving some bubbles behind, only to laugh as Toriel stared crossed eyed at the bubbles comically. Toriel smirked, and grabbed some bubbles, placing them on their head. "There, now you're a bubble cap." Frisk laughed, and then the little water war began. They splashed each other playfully, stuck bubbles on one another, until finally, even Toriel was drenched. The water was getting cold though, so she grabbed a towel, wrapping it around the child as they picked them up. "All right, little one, bath time is over."

She stepped out, dried them off and helped them into a new attire. "There we are, how's that Frisk?" she asked as they smiled, and hugged her. "All right then, run along. Mother has to find something dry to wear, you little water gremlin." They laughed, and scurried out, only to crash into a tall pair of legs a moment later. They fell roughly on their rump and looked up to see Papyrus, who was already leaning forward to grab them.

"Sorry, Frisk!" the tall skeleton said as they picked them up. "You okay?" They nodded, earning him a sigh of relief. "That's good. Anyways, Sans's ready to talk about everything that happened last night. You good with that?" Frisk nodded, and Papyrus headed back to their room, opening it. Sans was leaning against the dresser, as Papyrus sat down on Frisk's bed, holding the kid in his lap.

"Okay," Sans murmured. "I'll make my part of it simple. I know you two were attacked, and whoever it was, not only was strong, but merciless. I want to know the who's, what's, where's, when's, whys, and how's of everything that went down. So who was it?"

Frisk shrugged, and pointed at Flowey. The flower kept its head lowered, and then slowly turned itself, so that he could glance to them. "…they called themselves Chara…" he muttered. The others didn't notice, but Sans dipped his head slightly, silent. In the pockets of his hoodie, his fists clenched. It was foggy, but he recognized that name.

"What kind of creature were they?" Papyrus asked as he leaned forward just slightly, his arms staying around the child.

"Human," Flowey replied.

Sans shut his left eye. "Sadistic, they even attack their own kind."

"Surely they had to of had some reason," Papyrus murmured. Humans had souls, and looking at Frisk…there had to be good in all humans, right? They weren't all evil at least. What happened last night seemed more up Flowey's alley, but oddly enough, the flower had hurried to get help, instead of causing destruction.

"They don't need a reason," Flowey hissed. "They'll kill whatever is set in front of them, and they won't stop, that's who they've always been—" He came to an abrupt halt as he realized he said too much.

"You know them," Sans stated simply, before he turned to Flowey, the glow in his eyes vanishing completely. _**"Care to tell us anything?"**_

Flowey hunkered down with a soft hiss while Frisk made an unhappy sound, folding their arms as they silently glared at the flower. It didn't take long for the flower to break under the pressure. "Fine!" he snapped. "But not to those two bozos!" he said, flailing his leaves at Frisk and Papyrus.

Sans seemed to frown before breathing out. "Bro, take the kid to Snowdin to play with the Royal Guard members."

"But, Sans, what if this is important!?"

"If I think you need to know anything this flower says, I'll let you know, k?"

Papyrus nodded, and then put the kid on his shoulders. "Come along, Human. We shall go find you some playmates!" Sans watched them leave, and then folded his arms, glaring at the flower, the blue glow coming to his eye.

"Look, bud," Sans said, as he came over, shoving his hands in his pockets as he leaned forward. "Whoever this human is…they wanted you dead, so you better start spilling. I can guess they're from another reset, aren't they?"

Flowey jerked his head up in alarm, looking to Sans. "You—you—how do you know that?"

Sans shrugged. "Knowing things can be reset…knowing that I can see both good and bad endings…the good ones ripped away, the bad ones leaving scars no one else can recall? Yeah, I've been there."

"Then you should know who I'm talking about."

"Sorry, bud, doesn't work like that. I'm not like you and Frisk—yes, I know the kid has it too. I can't remember them clearly. I'm aware of them happening, but Chara is just a name in the fog. So you better start clearing things up, bud, before we're in over our heads in trouble."

Flowey hissed softly. "Chara…is the name of the first fallen—the one that befriended the prince. In the timeline this one is from…they possessed the fallen human that would have been Frisk…when they fell upon their grave. After that…"

"They started killing everyone," Sans surmised. "So how did they get here?"

Flowey seemed to shrink. "Well…" Warily, he explained what he had been told.

"Thanks, bud," Sans replied as he heard the last of it. "So we basically have a mass murderer running around loose on the mountains now, and they aren't afraid of harming Frisk either. And they said killing them won't rid us of them. Not a good combo."

"Yeah, just peachy, ain't it?" Flowey asked sarcastically.

"Any idea on how to stop them?"

"We wouldn't be here if I did…but a word of advice? Your special attack isn't going to do it, in fact, they know all your moves," he said, catching a glimpse of the blue glow in Sans's eye as he glared down at the flower.

"So we have an enemy we barely know that knows our every move?"

"More or less."

"Looks like we'll have to start making preparations, knowing them from what I can recall, they're going to be coming back, and soon." With that, he started head to the doors.

"Wait—!"

Sans turned, the blue eye looking at him. "Yeah, bud?"

"If you're going to tell Asgore and Toriel…don't refer to them by name."

"I'll think about it, bud."

Flowey hissed. "And would you stop calling me that!? I am not your bud! No matter what!"

Sans smirked as he opened the door. "Sure thing, Flowerbuddy."

"I WILL DESTROY YOUR PUNS, I SWEAR IT!" The flower shouted, flailing wildly as Sans shut the door with an amused chuckle. However, his humor faded as he drew his hood up. Time to get to Snowdin, for a few reasons, though it wasn't exactly a challenge for Sans as he was quickly walking through snow to get to his former station. With everyone moving out, he really didn't need to sit there anymore, much to his hidden joy.

Only to his slight surprise did he find Papyrus and Frisk at the station. He stopped, watching them. Frisk was bundled up in winter clothing this time, the lower part of their face covered in a scarf Papyrus had made for them. With the thick coat, snow pants, boots, and hat though, they looked rather endearing. Frisk was standing in the station, and it was then that Sans realize they were playing, as Papyrus crouched down in front of it as they seemed to be pretending that Frisk was on duty, and Papyrus had to sneak past.

Sans chuckled, leaning against a tree as the two continued their shenanigans as Frisk ducked out of sight as Papyrus poked his head into view, before ducking away again. Frisk bunched up, and then jumped with a quiet 'rwar', only to blink in confusion when Papyrus wasn't there. Though Sans could see that the tall skeleton had quickly crawled around the station, and was now creeping up behind the child as they looked about.

They yelped in alarm as Papyrus snagged them up, before shrilly laughing. "A—ha!" the tall skeleton exclaimed. "The Great Papyrus has captured the human! And now!" Frisk found themselves upside down. "The Great Papyrus would enact his revenge, but alas, the human is well protected! Whatever shall the Great Papyrus do!?"

"I dunno, bro," Sans said as he finally came forward. "What should he do?"

Papyrus turned with a smile. "Brother! There you are!" His cheerful mood vanished slightly. "What did you learn?"

Sans waved it aside. "Just some minor info, anyways, Undyne wants patrols outside, so I came to my station to get some of my things," he said as he side stepped around the two to get in, smiling when he found his tall bottles of mustard and ketchup, as well as a large jar of relish.

"Sans, why do you even have that stuff?" Papyrus asked.

"I'll be _frank_ with you," Sans replied, and gave a comical shrug. "It's in case I ever see a _hot dog_ out here."

"Sans, it's Snowdin, why would there even—SANS!"

Frisk giggled in Papyrus's hold, swinging back and forth as they laughed at Sans's wordplay. Then, they tugged lightly on Papyrus's scarf, getting him to lean down as they murmured in his ear. "You want to go play with the dogs? Sure." He looked to his brother. "Coming, Sans?"

"Sure, why not?" He had to talk to them anyways.

Papyrus smiled and placed the human on their shoulders before heading off down the trail, with Sans slowly following them. Sure enough, as they started to pass the box fort, Papyrus looked back. "Sans! Stop lagging behind, pick up the pace!" Sans perked, and then looked up with a sly smirk. Papyrus stared. "Oh no, Sans, I know what you're doing, don't."

"While I do _relish_ the thought of racing up to you…"

"Sans, don't you dare continue that!"

"We know I need to _mustard_ up the will…"

"Sans, I swear—"

"To _ketchup_ to you."

"SANS! That's it; the Great Papyrus is done, no more. He is through. Fed up. Gone. Out the door!" he said as he stood by the box fort, while Frisk reached over, their gloved hands touching the roof.

"Oh, come on bro, don't give me the…"

" _Sans_."

" _Cold shoulder_ —oouf!" Sans gave a grunt as a ball of snow hit the top of his head. The two skeletons jerked in surprise as Frisk giggled. They looked to the kid and realized that they had used some of the snow on the box fort to make a snowball. Papyrus gasped and then hastily stooped down to grab some snow.

"That's a great idea, Human! It's time to strike back at this pun maker!"

Sans jerked in surprise as he realized he had been double teamed. "Uh, I don't think so, bro." He drew out a hand, and all the sudden, the snow around him rose into the air, turning into multiple snowballs.

"The Great Papyrus hastily decides on a one-eighty advancement!" With that, the skeleton whirled and dashed down the trail, arms still full of snow as the child squealed their pure delight.

Sans smirked, and walked away—only to end up in front of them by Doggo's station. "Hey, bro," Sans replied; the glow in his eyes shining bright as he smiled. "What? Thought you could challenge me and run?"

"Uh-oh," Papyrus murmured, knowing that running back the way they came wouldn't do. Sans sent some of his snowballs sailing, and with a yelp, Papyrus lunged behind Doggo's station, managing to not get hit, while Frisk grabbed some snow from the roof, and gave a whistle.

There was a bark as Doggo poked his head out, looking about. "Movement? Movement! Something moved!" He yelped in alarm as one of Sans's snowballs grazed him, and then, he leapt out, racing for Sans. "Ball? Play!"

"You gotta be kidding me…"

Papyrus gasped. "Now, human!" With that, they charged forward, hailing Sans down with what snow they happened to collect, forcing Sans to run in the opposite direction, raising an arm to shield himself, only to go down with a grunt as Doggo tackled him, sniffing him with loud excited barks that rang through the forest. In the distance, returning howls came.

"Okay, off!" Sans insisted as Doggo's wet nose went all over his skull as he pushed at the canine's chest. Once he was free, he scrambled to his feet as Papyrus and Frisk gathered more snow, and chased after him.

"Don't let him out of your sight!" Papyrus exclaimed; tossing another snowball that went sailing over Sans's shoulder. Frisk made a sound of agreement as they tossed another, though it fell short.

Sans tore through the snow, dodging snowballs as he did so. It didn't help that Doggo was now chasing after the flying snowballs and had nearly tackled down Sans again in the process. However, things were only just starting to escalate. Even though Sans 'took a shortcut' to the larger area with more snow, he ended up taking Doggo and a snowball with him, and in his haste, he crashed into another canine. Lesser Dog.

Of course, that started up a volley of barking, alerting Papyrus and Frisk to where he had gone. Hastily, Sans got back up, brushing snow off him, only to turn and face palm. Their barking had brought in the married canines, along with Greater Dog, and the fusion ghost like apparition of their older family members.

Doggo, already excited by the accidental game simply had all the others start yapping as well, all excited by the idea of playing. It didn't help that Papyrus and Frisk caught up, and threw more snowballs as Sans dove for cover behind a tree. The dogs went wild though. "Ball! Get the snowballs!" they exclaimed as they raced around like crazy, sending snow flying into the air.

"Interference!" Papyrus exclaimed; jumping away from the lesser dog as it ran past them. "Come on, Frisk, he's trapped by the trees, we need to get him!"

Sans grumbled in annoyance. He couldn't take any shortcuts from here. He lifted a few snowballs into the air, and then sent them flying at Papyrus and Frisk. They yelped with Frisk leaning forward, the snowballs pelting their coat, and sheltering Papyrus's head. "Ah-ha! The human is valiant, but the Great Papyrus does not need you to risk yourself for his sake!"

They threw more snowballs, with Sans dodging this way and that, side stepping and ducking, and occasionally jumping from Frisk's snowballs as they fell short by the time they neared him. "We're close, human! He can't dodge forever!"

Sans jumped about, though it was becoming a bit difficult with the dogs getting in the way as they scurried after the flying snow. "Papyrus, you might want to try something 'new' to get me!" he hinted. Well, if Chara knew their every move…why not invent a few while they could?

Papyrus thought for a moment, and then smirked as his brother brushed up against a tree. He drew out a blue bone, and then motioned down. Sans gasped in alarm as the snow above his head dumped down on him, burying him briefly. "ATTACK!" Papyrus exclaimed, rushing forward while they had an opening.

 _That was actually pretty good…_ Sans murmured to himself, smirking under the snow. _But don't think I'll go down_ _ **that**_ _easily._

As they raced over, the snow suddenly glowed blue. "Uh-oh!" Papyrus exclaimed, while Frisk echoed a similar sound. The snow practically exploded in all directions with such force that Papyrus fell back with Frisk. The human tumbled, but then got to their feet, quickly diving out of the way as Sans stood over his brother, smiling as snowballs floated around him.

"Bro, surrender," Sans said, stifling a yawn.

"Never, lazy-bones!" Papyrus rolled away and used his hands as he tumbled back, using them to propel himself into the air. He flipped and landed on his feet, and drew out a blue bone, whipping it out to bat a snowball away. Sans's eyes widened, and he ducked as Papyrus returned the flying projectile, before scrambling as Papyrus came at him. He tried to run the other way around the few trees that were there, but as he tried to get out the other gap, Frisk came into sight, and threw the snowball.

It missed...but the Greater Dog that decided to fetch it didn't. Sans grunted as he was slammed into by the great beast, and was practically flattened beneath it. The canine whined, sniffing at the snow, before Frisk whistled, beckoning the canine back, having another idea. With that, the two ran off while Sans laid there for a moment, groaning. Note to self: Don't get in that dog's way.

However, he couldn't rest long. Papyrus had come after him again. Sans rolled, and instantly levitated some more snow, flinging it in Papyrus's general direction as he scrambled to get back onto his feet, leaping off, nearly tripping over Lesser Dog as it chased after the young canine couple, and shuddered as the apparition phased through him.

Papyrus jumped, batting at any snowballs that came his way, destroying them as they met his blue bone. With that, the fight continued, the dogs chasing after the snowballs that got flung by the skeleton brothers, but the Greater Dog and the child were oddly missing. No one noticed that they had gone back to another area for the decently sized snowball, and then, while they were in the midst of their fray, Greater Dog helped roll it, bigger and bigger. They went past the fight, and somehow, Greater Dog got it on top of the ridge above the fight with Frisk on its shoulder. The dog yipped happily at the achievement, watching the struggle down below.

The dog then went to push it as Frisk leaned forward, giggling, but that was when things went awry. Somehow, the dog fell out of its armor. Maybe it was pushing too hard, maybe Frisk was leaning on it too much, or maybe the will to chase balls was too great to resist such a thing. Regardless, the canine fell, and so did Frisk, onto the snowball that was already going downhill. Both made sounds of alarm as they got trapped in the snow they had collected.

The fight down below came to a stop as everyone heard the noise. They looked at each other in confusion, but by the time they looked up to see the problem, it was already on top of them, and it was only because of the trees that it didn't go rolling off the next ledge and down into the valley below. Yelps and barks of dismay were heard as the two skeleton brothers groaned, with everyone stuck either in or under the snowball, thankfully all heads accounted for on the outside.

"Everyone okay?" Sans asked, and then, after being assured that they were, he chuckled, his upper half free, looking down, he could see Papyrus's head, and he snickered. "Well, I guess this fight really—" Papyrus sighed. " _Snowballed_ didn't it?"

The taller skeleton groaned while Sans used his magic to break the snowball apart. Exhausted, most just kept flat on their back, trying to regain their breath, as did Sans, who was worn out from the whole ordeal. A shadow fell over him, and he peeked an eye open to see Frisk. He chuckled. "Back to me already, even after you picked yourself up from that fall? I guess you just like _gravitating_ toward me."

The child disappeared briefly, only to come back with an armful of snow, which they plopped onto his face without delay. There was a muffled sound of surprise, and to their delight, and Papyrus's great amusement, Sans flailed his limbs in alarm. "The human is victorious!"


	4. You've got one Shot

After a bit more snow slinging between Frisk, Sans, and Papyrus, Sans finally decided it was time to stop. He took them through a shortcut in front of the royal's home. "Okay, get in and warm up," Sans said, not noticing Frisk giving a look of concern to the right of the house. "I need to head back and talk to the other guards, so take care of Frisk 'till I get back, k?"

Papyrus nodded. "No problem, brother, I promise to look after them."

Sans smiled. "Good, and uh, Papyrus…let's meet up at our old home later. We've got a little work to do."

"As soon as Frisk is all taken care of. They've been out in the cold, and the dog slobber on them probably didn't help…"

Sans snickered. "At least they can't give them—"

"Sans, really…"

"Frost bite."

"You're exasperating," Papyrus sighed. "But yeah, I'll be home after this," he assured, as Frisk started shuffling around the right side of the entrance, looking for something.

"Buddy?" Frisk turned to look at Sans. "Something wrong?" They shook their head and smiled, giving a thumbs up. "If you're sure, kiddo." With that, Sans walked away, taking another shortcut to get back to Snowdin. He needed to talk to the guards about what was going on.

Papyrus smiled as Frisk came over, hugging his leg, but his head jerked up as the door opened as Toriel stepped out, only to do a double take. "What in the…?"

The two were covered in snow dust, and Papyrus had what looked like large chunks of snow and ice clinging to his bones. The skeleton laughed softly. "We had a snowball fight, and Sans and I ended up getting a lot of snow on our bones, and uh, since we don't actually supply much in heat…it…froze to our bones."

Frisk giggled while Toriel shook her head in amusement. "Well come on in, I'll get you something warm to eat." She took Frisk's hand and led them in, with Papyrus following. As soon as they entered, Frisk started to take off their winter clothes, no longer needing them in the warm house. And soon enough they were in their usual attire, aside from the fact that they were only wearing socks right now.

Toriel smiled and then shooed them into the living room. "You two warm up," she murmured in amusement. "And I'll get a towel for you, Papyrus so that the snow and ice doesn't just melt off you."

"The Great Papyrus thanks you for the offer," he replied, while Frisk tugged lightly on Toriel's dress.

"Hmm, what is it dearie?" She knelt, and paused. "You want to go to the garden for a few minutes…? Well, I suppose, but don't leave the Underground." They nodded, crossing their heart with a firm nod. She petted their head. "Don't take too long, Little One." With that, the child grabbed their shoes, sat on the steps to get them on, and then raced off.

Toriel chortled. "So much energy for one so small…"

"No kidding," Papyrus said. "They can keep going even after that huge snowball fight we got into."

"I hope the game wasn't too rough on them," she said in slight concern.

"Hardly," Papyrus snickered. "Sans got the worst of it because the dogs kept chasing Frisk's snowballs and getting him."

Toriel paused, bringing the image to mind, before she began laughing. "Oh, goodness! Don't tell me the Greater Dog…oh goodness poor Sans! I hope he wasn't hurt too badly!"

"No broken bones, so that's something!"

However, while they talked about the events from earlier, things were not so merry for Frisk. In reality, they had only poked their head into the garden while looking for something there, and at the exit. Both were empty of what they sought. Even the corridor didn't have it. When they came back into Toriel's home, they bit their lip, and headed over to their room with concern and worry all over their face.

They opened the door to their room, and looked over to where Flowey was resting in his flower pot. They closed the door and quietly went over as he raised his head, looking at them warily. "What do you want, Frisk?" he growled, before perking, noticing their expression of worry, which put him on edge, his thoughts already going to the merciless Chara.

Frisk looked at the ground for a moment, shuffling a few times, before leaning forward and murmuring quietly. Their words got Flowey's attention, but while he looked bothered, he didn't look as surprised as he should have been. "The save points aren't there anymore?" Frisk nodded nervously. "Of course they aren't." Frisk jerked with a sound of surprise. "Why do you think I can't save anymore?" Frisk shrugged.

Flowey sighed, a leaf going against his head. "The save points can only be seen by one 'being' and that being only. The only reason I could save in my world, is because it was just that. My world. I had the souls to aid me…but here…it goes to the being who is the most determined. That was you, Frisk. But now that Chara's here…their determination to destroy everything overrides your determination to do the right thing. Therefore, they're the ones who can access the save points…"

Frisk made an uncomfortable sound. "Of course, Frisk," Flowey murmured. "That leads to one more thing…" Frisk looked at the flower as they turned slightly to look the human square in the eye. "Frisk, if you die before we stop Chara…you're going to stay dead. With no save points, there's no resets either…you understand Frisk?" Flowey dipped his head slightly. "You've got one shot. Don't mess it up, because I promise you, they won't be satisfied with just us."

Frisk gulped, and shakily nodded. "You know," Flowey murmured. "You're a lousy fighter…" Frisk glared at them for the insult. "You can't fight," Flowey continued, but then he hunkered down, leaning forward. "But you can dodge. Perhaps you should ask Sans for some tips." Frisk looked at them in confusion, and the flower couldn't help a sly smile. "Oh, trust me. Sans has made me reset more than anyone. And if that pile of lazy bones can teach you anything…it's dodging."

The human thought over Flowey's words, and then nodded. Tomorrow, maybe, they'd talk to Sans about it. They looked back to the flower that had turned away again. They paused, and then clambered up onto the bed. "Go away, human, I don't need you jostling—" He jerked in surprise as the human gave an improvised hug, their head gently nuzzling his petals. "Wha—hey—what are you doing!? STOP THAT!" he demanded, flailing his leaves.

They giggled at his exaggerated response and gently patted his head. They could tell that Chara scared him…Chara scared them too, so they understood. They wanted him to feel better though, to feel that he wasn't alone, and that it was okay to be scared. This person was terrible, he had every right. Because this was basically an immortal, and both knew that killing wouldn't suffice.

After a bit more cuddling, Frisk had to go as dinner was ready. They got to have a meal with Toriel and Papyrus, before Toriel shooed them to bed as it was getting late, and Papyrus decided to head back to Snowdin. Papyrus couldn't take shortcuts, but he was fast, so taking elevators back down to the river and taking the boat to Snowdin didn't take too long.

He moved through town, eyeing the buildings. Eventually, one by one, monsters would all move out of here. It was good, yet, it would be strange when Snowdin was finally empty. After all, the Underground was all he had ever known, and even if it was to a better place, so many memories would play out here beneath the mountain they were trapped under.

Papyrus pushed the thoughts aside though. It'll be better in the end! He could go to Grillby's with the noon sun shining down for once, instead of the constant nighttime. He reached his house, and unlocked the door. "Sans?" he called as he entered. "Are you in—"

He yelped in surprise as something crashed into the wall beside his head. He jerked his head up, and saw his brother on the second floor, leaning against the railing, smiling as his left eye glowed. "Hey, bro…let's go, show me what you've got…and what more you can do."

It clicked with Papyrus what Sans wanted. A training session. Odd, Sans really wasn't the type, but Papyrus didn't mind the idea. "You really want me to make new moves, don't you?"

"Yep, better start moving."

Papyrus jumped back, slamming their door shut, thinking swiftly, before heading toward Waterfall so that his brother wouldn't have snow to fling at him as well. Sans smirked, and opened the door to his room—and somehow ended up stepping out of his house. Seeing where his brother was going, he huffed. "Okay, Sans," he murmured to himself as he drew his hood up. "Take it a little serious."

With that, he ran after his brother. "That human can't teleport, so fight a little like them," Sans muttered to himself, memories of another timeline coming to him as he ran after his brother. _Papyrus has to be prepared—he has to be able to defend himself, so make him take it just as seriously!_ He didn't remember why Papyrus had fallen to the human in the other timeline, but he wanted to prevent it this time.

The two entered waterfall, running past Sans's station, but Sans stopped as he came upon a patch of tall grass. He paused, and slowly came forward, listening. Nothing. He slowly moved forward, pushing cautiously through the grass. Yet, despite his searching, he couldn't find Papyrus. Sans frowned. He should have seen him if he had just ran straight through. He continued searching, nearing the side with the river. Where did he—

Sans gasped as something hit his legs, knocking him down as something leapt out of the river. Papyrus. The tall skeleton had actually slid into the river while Sans was searching in the grass, clinging to the ledge until his brother was close enough to attack. Sans practically beamed at that as he tumbled back, summoning a bone to block Papyrus's attack. "How's that, brother!?" Papyrus exclaimed with a wide smile.

"A step in the right direction," Sans replied before raising a hand. However, Papyrus lunged to the side as a single bone appeared out of nowhere. "Keep moving!" Sans warned. "Don't think you've won when your enemy has fallen!"

"Right!" Papyrus jumped through the rest of the grass and continued running, their sparring match continuing on.

Papyrus yelped as another bone flew at him and he dove on through Waterfall, jumping over the rivers that normally needed bridge seeds, and busting through the wishing room. In fact, the tall skeleton actually lunged across the gap where the bird usually rested. Sans stopped and took a swift 180, taking a shortcut to get across as his brother rushed on. Sans continued after him through the first mushroom area, only to freeze when he found himself in pitch black. "Heh…oh boy, Papyrus."

His eye glowed vividly as he moved, listening. Nothing. Surprisingly, Papyrus could be deathly quiet when he wanted to be…good. Sans needed him to be able to do that if Papyrus had to go into hiding for any reason. The small skeleton tapped a lantern, causing the room to light up again. He smirked as he caught sight of his brother, and swiftly began to move. However, the lights were already beginning to die, and soon enough went all black.

Sans made a soft sound of annoyance, and felt around as he moved. Where was the next lantern? He couldn't exactly teleport back to the beginning from here…after moving around the narrow area with just enough of a rise to not walk off the paths, he finally found a lantern. He touched it, lighting the room again, frowning when he found that Papyrus had navigated the dark, and was now elsewhere in the room. "Stopped running, huh?" he called as he moved.

"The Great Papyrus does not run away from a battle!" his brother called with a smirk as the room went dark again.

"Then what's this?" Sans asked, but his brother did not reply. Sans grumbled as he fumbled around, eventually finding another lantern. When the brothers spotted each other again, there seemed to be a glimmer of amusement on Papyrus's face as he adjusted his scarf.

"A tactical move, but I won't give anything else away."

Sans chuckled. "A tactical move of bringing me into the pitch black?" If Sans really wanted to though, he could use his Gaster Blasters to light up the area, but that was a bit of an overkill, and he wanted to keep this to a 'human' simulation for the best part, which was why he had only been using one bone at a time, and only teleporting when Papyrus jumped a gap he couldn't.

He touched another lantern when the room went dark again, but when the area lit back up, he couldn't see his brother at all. Sans frowned. Where did he go? He moved swiftly as the room darkened again. He got to a lantern just as it went dark, and touched it. The room lit up, and Sans caught sight of his brother's scarf for a brief moment. He smirked. _Nice try, but I see you._

The smaller skeleton moved again as the lanterns dimmed, making his way to where he could see his brother. The room darkened just before he got there, and he was forced to stumble around again for a lantern. He found one and summoned his bone as he came. "All right, Papyrus, no more hi—ding?" He practically blinked as he stared dumbfounded. Papyrus wasn't there.

Instead, there was just a large bone with Papyrus's scarf tied to it. Sans's eyes widened as he realized he had been tricked, but before he could even move, he felt a bone press against his neck. "Not another step, Lazy-Bones," Papyrus said.

"Or what?" Sans asked as he raised his hands in surrender, turning around, only to stare in surprise.

Behind Papyrus, blue bones were levitating, spinning in a slow circle. "Or you'll meet my Pin Wheel of Doom."

Sans chuckled. "Okay, bro, you got me. Show me what that does—just not on me," he joked.

"As if I would ever use this on my brother—even if you do spout horrible puns."

"Just for you, Papyrus. Just for you."

Papyrus gave a half-hearted glare, and then the bones dispersed, and he made a smaller version so that he didn't accidentally destroy anything. "Just to note, in a real attack, some of these bones will be white." Then, he sent it flying. It was like watching a disk with LED lights as it whirled around, sometimes the bones went away from each other, creating a wider circle, before closing tight. If Papyrus used the attack at full size…well, someone was going to have a heck of time dodging.

Sans clapped slowly while Papyrus beamed. "Way to go, bro," Sans said. "This is definitely a good one. Where'd you get the idea?"

"From the Echo Flowers," Papyrus replied. "They're blue, and their petals sort of make a pin wheel."

Sans smiled. "Good thing you took this to Waterfall. And that diversion? Keep that, definitely keep that. I thought I had you."

Papyrus pumped the air out of pure excitement. "I know! I literally thought up this plan as I was running over here, and I'm just so glad that it worked!" Sans chuckled, and then offered a hand.

"Come on, Bro, let's take a shortcut home and rest up for the night. We don't know what tomorrow will have in store."

Papyrus smiled and retrieved his scarf before taking Sans's hand. Then, the two moved, leaving the mushroom area…and somehow ending up inside their house. They started to head up the stairs, but Papyrus stopped at his room. "Sans…"

The smaller skeleton turned, and tilted his head. "Yeah, bro?"

"What did Flowey say?" Papyrus asked in concern. "I want to know how bad this is so that I can help."

Sans paused, thinking. He had to tell him at some point so that he wouldn't go in blind, and since they didn't know when they would run into Chara… Sans sighed. "Right…well…" He hesitated.

"Sans…?"

His brother looked up. "We're up against something dangerous. This human…they're not like Frisk. What I'm saying is…Mercy isn't going to get to them, Papyrus. It doesn't work all the time, even if Frisk could show mercy to Flowey."

"But Sans, they're human; they have a soul, don't they?"

"Papyrus, you saw what they did. However, I'm not saying to kill them. In fact, far from it, but the thing is, they're going to try to kill us. That's why I did this tonight. If you have to confront them, and have to defend yourself so that you can bring them to their knees…I want you to show your best. Use what you did today against them, all right?" Sans asked, not noticing that he had crossed back through the hall, coming in front of his brother. "Papyrus…"

"Yeah?"

He suddenly hugged his brother. "You've got a good heart, bro. Just, please, please don't let them take it. I…I can't lose you."

The taller brother blinked in confusion, and then knelt, hugging his brother. "Sans…I promise to be careful. I'll do what I can to capture them and not get hurt."

Sans sighed in relief. "Thanks, bro…"


	5. Like you would a Candle

Morning came to the world, and while the Underground didn't have the sun to tell them that, monsters were stirring. However, for Frisk, it was far too early to be considering the idea to get up as they burrowed themselves deeper into their blankets. The door creaked open for a moment as Toriel peered in. Seeing them still asleep, they quietly shut it, and then crept down the hall, before going to the living room. At the table, were Asgore, Alphys, Undyne, Papyrus, and somehow, Sans.

Knowing how lazy the skeleton was, everyone knew it was serious when he of all monsters suggested a meeting in the wee hours of the morning. Though he seemed to have regretted the idea as he was half laying on the table, looking like he had fallen asleep when Toriel went to check on Frisk. She smiled in amusement, and sat down at the edge. Due to a lack of chairs, Papyrus had Sans on his lap, while Undyne had Alphys on hers, where as Toriel and Asgore sat alone.

Papyrus nudged his brother a few times. The smaller skeleton tiredly swatted back as his pupils began to glow again. "Huh…? Wazzat…?" They flickered as he rapidly blinked before he abruptly sat up. "Right…" He tapped his fingers together, obviously trying to find some way to start it. "Okay, I'll get to the point. Something attacked Frisk and Flowey that night—I didn't tell everyone right away cause I didn't want us trekking around a mountain at night. Good?"

The others nodded, though he could tell the King and Queen weren't too happy about being kept out of the loop. "I spent most of the time since, getting information. What attacked Frisk was another human, and not only that, Flowey knows of them—they're not on good terms."

Undyne gave an irritated snort. "I don't think _anyone_ is on good terms with that flower…aside from Frisk," she muttered while Alphys looked down nervously, knowing that the only reason they had a Flowey was because of her.

"But why are they attacking?" Toriel asked in concern.

"As Flowey puts it," Sans murmured. "They're basically a 'kill everything and anything' type. They don't need a reason."

"They're not much better than the flower," Undyne muttered.

Sans gave a shrug. "At least the flower fixed things by resetting."

The other five gave him looks of confusion, and the small skeleton sighed. "I was hoping I wasn't the only one of us that knew about it. All right, time for a long explanation cut short. Certain people can reset to specific moments in time, allowing them to redo things. That having been Flowey, and Frisk, and now the human running rampant."

Toriel paused. "I don't understand, when did Frisk ever have…wouldn't we have noticed?"

Sans shrugged. "Depends on the reset and the monster themselves. Like me, I can vaguely remember major resets and quickies. They're like trying to see through fog though."

"Is s—something like that even possible?" Alphys asked weakly. "To defy death and time all in one go?"

"Come on," the fish creature muttered. "Sans, this is no time to be pulling our legs."

"I don't think he is," Asgore said, a hand on his chin as he thought. "I remembered vaguely that…I thought it was a dream, but the more I thought about it, the more it didn't seem to be. I vaguely remember actually confronting Frisk in battle."

Sans nodded. "You're a quickie rememberer then," he explained. "If something happens to the kid, they do a quick reset. They probably confronted you several times. But that's the thing. The human we're up against? We can't kill them, because they have the same ability to an extent. They'll just keep coming back. They'll memorize our attack patterns, and get better."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Undyne demanded. "Just let them waltz around killing things?"

"The Great Papyrus highly objects to the very thought."

"Right," Sans mumbled. "We can't let them run around…we have to capture them, lock them up somewhere, and figure out how to get that ability taken away from them so that they don't somehow reset when they die of old age or something. Also, Flowey says they fought us before. Long story short, cause I really don't want to go into detail…Usual attack patterns aren't gonna cut it. That goes to the Royal Guard and the like, but I already past word to them."

"Then that means new training," Undyne said with an excited growl in her voice.

"Um…" Alphys murmured, raising her hand timidly. "I should mention that I set up more cameras…so…um…if I uh—see anything, I'll call directly to the castle…"

Sans nodded. "Sounds like a plan…" The skeleton yawned, and then slouched in his brother's hold. "I think that's everything. Rabid immortal human on the loose, capture and detain…something something…" And he fell back asleep.

Papyrus chuckled sheepishly. "He was up late, and had a tiring day yesterday…"

"Take him to my room to rest," Toriel said simply as she rose. "It's a long walk to Snowdin."

"Uh—thank you," Papyrus managed, caught off guard by the offer, before he stood and followed her.

Asgore turned to Undyne. "I need you two to get to work in order to prepare for this threat. I don't understand most of what Sans explained, but I do understand the dangers."

"Yes Sir," Undyne said, standing up, but keeping her hold on the scientist. "I'll get this Nerd back to her lab, and then go teach the Royal Guard some awesome new moves."

Asgore couldn't help a slight smile. "I have no doubt in my mind when it comes to that. Run along now, but remember what we promised for tomorrow afternoon?"

"You still wanna do it?"

"I'll talk to Toriel, but for now, assume that we all will. We did promise the child."

"Right," Undyne replied. "Give me a ring if it's a no." Then, she walked out.

"U—Undyne! I c—can walk!" Alphys protested.

"I know that," the fish lady snickered as she walked out.

Asgore watched them go with an amused smile, and slowly shook his head. Well, that was one way to make sure that nervous lizard got back to her lab. However, his mirth faded as he thought about the situation. A crazed human… He huffed. He hoped that most humans were like Frisk out there, but for now, he had to focus on one that wanted to stain their hands with blood and dust.

He looked down to the passage of the garden, but instead, he moved. He had somewhere to go where he could safely practice fighting. Later, he would talk to Toriel, but he wished it was still easy to be with her, like it was before, but the chances of her forgiving him were slim to none.

A few hours later though, Frisk peeked open Toriel's door, having learned that Sans was resting in there. They heard heavy breathing, and slowly slipped in, tiptoeing over. Somehow, Sans was just about ready to fall off the bed, a leg and arm dangling, a slipper on the floor, leaving a foot fully exposed, his hoodie hanging on the chair beside the bed. Frisk giggled softly at the sight and came over, kissing the top of his skull.

Sans stirred, giving a low grumble, swatting the air, completely missing. "Go 'way, Pap…" Frisk patted his shoulder. "I don't care…if it's mornin'…it's still three, Pyrus…let me sleep a few more…hours…days…"

Frisk laughed again, their soft little giggles finally bringing his glowing pupils into existence. "Whazza…?" He raised his head. "Oh, it's you, kiddo…what're you doing 'ere?" He blinked, looking around. "Wait, what am _I_ doing here?" They giggled and whispered to him. "That so…? Eh, better thank Tori later…" He yawned. "I'm _beddin_ ' she told you I was here, didn't she?"

The child giggled at his pun, causing Sans to smile. Well, at least someone appreciated them. He raised a hand, tiredly petting their head. "Well, there's a bright ray on sunshine. Any reason you came in 'ere you little Gremlin?" They laughed, and spoke to him quietly, causing him to blink a few times in confusion. "Wait what? You want me to teach you how to dodge?"

Frisk nodded eagerly, speaking to him again. "Well," Sans murmured. "True, with all things considered. Just give me a moment." Sans slowly sat up, oddly stretching, which didn't seem needed for a skeleton. Then again, he breathed and yawned as well. He slipped off his bed, his foot sliding into his slipper, before he grabbed his hoodie. "K, kid, know where we can practice?"

They nodded, and yanked him to the door with a smile. He chuckled, and let them lead the way, knowing that it couldn't be too far if they weren't nagging for a shortcut. Besides, stumbling his way there would give him time to wake up. A few minutes later, Frisk yanked them into the golden corridor of the castle. "Here Kid?" he asked. "Well, all right, let's get started."

First, Sans started with the basics, actually holding the kid against him. "Okay, you know how parents teach their kids how to dance? No? Well basically, they have their kids stand on their feet to learn the moves. Course we gotta do it different since we're facing the same direction, but that's the general gist." Frisk tentatively put their feet on top of his as he held them. "Now, an enemy's taking a swing—" He abruptly slid to the side with Frisk. "But just because you did it once—" He hopped back. "Doesn't mean you're safe." He hopped back to the side. "Got that?"

They tilted their head back to look at him and give an affirmative sound. "Good, now try on your own. Same pattern, okay. I'm gonna use special bones." He snapped his fingers and he showed one that was made of pure light and could be seen through. "These are for training. Ya' can't get hurt by these." Frisk gave a curt nod. "Okay, here we go!" Instantly, the child jumped to the side, then back, and then spun away as the third bone rose. "Hey, not bad kid. Let's keep at it."

The two went at it for a good while, but as Sans's upped the level slowly on Frisk, he started feeling like this was familiar. Too familiar. As he continued the somewhat simple attacks, he started to see flashes of another timeline. A red-eyed child racing at him with a knife. He dodged and dodged, and violently attacked. They took everything, he couldn't let them past! Sans's eye started to glow, and without realizing it, he was upping the challenge, and one of his Gaster Blasters came forth.

Frisk cried out in alarm, jerking Sans out of his trance, the Gaster Blaster, the bones, all of them vanished. Sans glow faded as he stared briefly, before gasping and rushing over. "Kid, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I—I…I'm sorry, kid." He looked them over, but they seemed fine, much to his relief as he held their shoulders.

The child looked at them as he quivered, and then suddenly came forward, hugging him as he knelt on one knee. He froze for a moment, and then drew his arms firmly around them, resting his skull on their shoulder as he shuddered. It was just a bad memory now…it was okay…it was all going to be okay.

Elsewhere though, someone didn't share the same opinion. Alphys whined as she began to pace in front of her monitors. "This is not okay, not okay, not okay…oh, ohhh…"

"Alphys?" she jerked her head up in surprise to see Undyne. "What's wrong?" the taller female asked in concern.

Alphys bit a claw nervously. Then pointed at the monitor. Undyne and frowned and went over. It was static at the moment, but Alphys put it in reverse, and then let it play back at normal speed. At first, it was just footage of the mountain from last night, with nothing in particular on the screen, but then Undyne saw it. A human, at first, she thought they were Frisk, but they stopped, knife in hand, and looked straight at what should have been a hidden camera.

Undyne felt a chill run up her spine as they came over, kneeling down, smirking into the camera with crimson red orbs, before reaching forward with their knife, and cutting the connection, rendering the rest of the footage to static. "Gods, that looked like Frisk! But…no… Even on a screen, they just felt wrong…"

Alphys whined, grabbing her head again. "They—they saw the camera, they knew we set them up, now they'll be extra careful—keeping track of them above the Underground is going to be impossible now! Oh gods—what do I do—what do I do—what do I do—"

Undyne brought a hand over Alphys's mouth. "Shhh…" she soothed. "Deep breaths, Alphys. Okay, so they damaged the stuff. So, that means the cameras either need to be better protected, or set up in the trees. I'll have some flying guards tend to that tomorrow, all right?"

"R—right—I think that m—might work…"

Undyne smiled slightly, and then effortlessly picked up the nervous reptile. "Easy, Alphys. It's gonna be okay. You're just stressing out over everything. You've been working a lot into the nights, and I don't think you've been getting any sleep…you know, I'll have my guards handle things tomorrow, you should have it off."

"But—Undyne—"

"It'll be fine." She held up her cell phone. "If Asgore hasn't called by now, then Toriel probably said we can still do tomorrow's plan. It'll be nice, calming, and relaxing…and if it's too relaxing, we can watch anime on your phone or something."

"Can it be Mew Mew Kissy Cutie?"

"…sure."

The 'thing' that they had intended to do the next day, was actually a picnic in the field of Echo Flowers in Waterfall. Asgore and Toriel had debated on still doing it, but when they found that everyone had contributed to the issue that day, with Papyrus inventing new moves at home, Sans teaching Frisk to dodge, Alphys reinforcing security, and Undyne training her Royal Guards…plus, the two had faced each other off for new fire attacks…it was decided that at the very least, the break was well earned.

Besides, if trouble did arise, they could be easily contacted via cellphone, and Sans could quickly get them to the confrontation. The only one of Frisk's close ones that didn't come was Flowey, who was too grumpy, and made it clear that he rather die a slow death in a locked room, than a fast one by Chara. Frisk tried to persuade them, but Sans said there wasn't a point in bringing him to waterfall if he was just going to dampen everyone's spirits.

The picnic itself went rather well…for the most part. Toriel had brought Butterscotch and Cinnamon Pie, Sans brought hot dogs, Papyrus brought Spaghetti, while Alphys brought snacks. Undyne's food offering was an unrecognizable burnt…something. However, she brought tea, so most was forgiven. Asgore had meant to bring something food wise, but it didn't end well, so he settled on bringing something else instead that he teased most others over, as it was hidden in a box.

Frisk had brought something along as well, having stopped at Muffet's parlor for some Spider doughnuts, getting one for everybody that came…and an extra for Flowey which they left in front of his pot. The picnic went well, with Frisk dragging most of them into a game of tag, but when Alphys tired, she and Undyne retreated to watch Anime, while Toriel and Asgore quietly talked. Frisk hoped it was to settle their differences.

An hour of play later, Asgore called everyone back. "Now, I know most of you had been nagging me about what I brought along…well, I must ask you to be quiet for this. Not a peep." He opened the box, and inside, were a handful of rose red flowers, their blossoms closed. Asgore motioned toward an empty mound of soil over in the field to show where he intended for these to be planted. Then, he rubbed a circle around the base of the petals, and quietly they opened.

"Everyone, these are called Recital Flowers," he explained. "They're like Echo Flowers in the sense that they can repeat what they heard, except, they only record once, and then repeat that for the rest of their lives, even if they were to hibernate in the winter. They remain closed until the base of their petals are touched, like I had done, and to stop them from listening, you blow over the petals like you would a candle. Like so." The king gently blew on the petals. The petals closed, glowed, and then opened again, beginning to repeat what he said.

Everyone, aside from Toriel, who already knew of the flowers, made sounds of awe and wonder. Asgore chuckled. "Yes, there's one for everyone, but since it records once, choose what you want to say wisely."

With that, everyone took turns, with Papyrus going first, a look of excitement on him as his flower opened up. "This is the Great Papyrus, a member of the Royal Guard. I hope hearing this message will help inspire you to chase after your dreams, no matter how unlikely they may be, and to not let the unexpected stop you. And sometimes, you may have to follow what's in your heart, even if it goes against the path of your dreams. Believe me, I've been there, but I still got to be a Royal Guard. Sincerely, the Great Papyrus."

Sans was next. "Hey, Sans here. I'm Papyrus's brother…he's the coolest, so you should totally go listen to what his Recital Flower has to say." Having nothing else to offer, he blew over the petals.

Undyne followed with an excited smirk. "Listen up! This is Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard! This better get your blood pumping, ya here? Oh, and if you're one of my Guards that's on duty while listening to this, GET BACK TO WORK! I can't have you slacking off! Fuhuhu~!"

Toriel smiled as she held hers, letting it open. "Hello, little listeners. You've probably heard some excited youths who are living their dreams. When you are feeling uncertain of your life desires, you should think about how they got to where they wanted to be. A journey starts with a single step, and sometimes the straightest path is not the right one. Work at your own pace, your dream will wait patiently for you."

Frisk looked at Alphys and gently nudged her forward. "Wait—what me? But I…um…what about you?" Frisk made shooing motions with a giggle. "Ohhh…fine." She grabbed her phone in one hand and allowed her flower to bloom. "H-hi…I'm Alphys…former Royal Scientist, but that doesn't matter. Um…I don't have anything super inspiring to say, so I'll just let the theme of my favorite anime play. Maybe at least I can inspire you to watch that…" She laughed nervously, and then let it play. "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, Mew, Mew, Ma-Mew Mew!"

The child smiled, and then turned away, murmuring quietly into their flower with a smile, whispering a soft rhyme, before gently blowing over the petals. They smiled as it closed, glowing and lighting their face with a gentle red, before opening again. They held the flower up to the others, letting them hear the rhyme. Toriel nearly squealed before hugging the child close, while nuzzling them. "That was the most adorable thing," she said while others smiled happily, a few bashfully.

"The Great Papyrus is truly flattered by such a poem."

"What my brother said."

Asgore chuckled. "You should take up writing, little one."

Alphys nodded. "It was ra-rather sweet."

Undyne looked away. "Yeah…I guess it was…cute."

Frisk giggled and then went with the others to plant their recital flowers, enjoying the love around them.


	6. Know What's Funny

Frisk peeked into their room that evening when they got back from the picnic, smiling when they saw no trace of the doughnut they had left Flowey. Good, he ate it. At least it'd make up for the lack of sunlight…or, at least Frisk hoped that it would do that. Then, they crept over, and got his attention. Flowey raised his head. "What do you want human?" He sighed as they quietly told him about what he had missed. "Yeah, well it doesn't matter," Flowey stated firmly. "My company wouldn't have been appreciated anyways."

The child frowned, pointing accusingly at them, before retorting to him quietly. "Yeah? Well maybe I don't want to be liked!" Frisk grumbled at the flower's logic, and then perked back up, and whispered to him. "Oh? You saw Mettaton on the way back?" They giggled and then repeated something Sans had said. "And he had met a ton of fans back at—" He stopped. "Met…a…ton…HUMAN!"

They laughed, ducking away as the flower flailed his leaves. "That's it! You ABYSS-SPAWN! You spend too much time with that infuriating skeleton! I've had it—oomph!" He had flailed too much, and had fallen forward in his pot, his head on the bed. They peeked over the edge with a giggle while he raised his head to give them a dead pan glare. "Why must you torture me so, Human?"

Frisk gave a patient smile, and then patted his head, before kissing it. Flowey's response was to rub the offended area with a leaf. "I'm so glad you're amused," the flower replied sarcastically. They giggled again, and then righted his pot, though Flowey didn't attempt to bite them, despite their hands in easy reach.

Frisk smiled, scampered across the room, crawled under their own bed, before slowly pulling out a book. Then, they scurried back over, hopping onto his bed, jostling him briefly, but they caught the rim of the pot to keep him from falling over. "Human! What are you doing now!?" Flowey demanded in frustration.

They opened the book, and Flowey recognized it as one that Toriel would read to him and… "Human—wait—what—no!" He flailed his leaves so wildly that one would think he might start flying out of his pot. "What do I like like—a little kid!? I do not need bedtime stories!" They started reading anyways.

"Frisk! No! Stop it! I demand it! Not another word—not another sentence—one more paragraph I swear—human, if you even think of turning that page—GAH!" Flowey lowered his head and tried to cover his…ears apparently. "I refuse! I will not succumb to this—this—whatever nonsense you spew!"

Frisk looked at the cover, and then back at him with a dead-pan look, before slowly shaking their head, and waiting a few minutes. When he finally ran out of breath, they smiled, and went back to reading, trying not to laugh at the breathy groans of exasperation as they read the simple tale to him.

It wasn't an all original story, as it was a children's book. It was a simple tale of two siblings getting separated, and trying to find their way back to each other, each facing struggles that paralleled their fears, and somehow, in the end, both came through, and were reunited before somehow stumbling back home.

Flowey reluctantly listened, watching the human out of the corner of his eye. Even in hardships, they were soft and kind…too kind. He worried about that, knowing that if they didn't toughen up, Chara would tear them apart.

Later in the night, at the lab, Alphys sat in front in front of her computer, typing away. She was alone, with Undyne having things to attend to with her Royal Guard. It was supposed to be disbanded, but when thought over, even if the humans were no threat, there should always be guards ready in case of emergencies. Not all monsters and humans were good after all, and if they didn't have a guard, they would be defenseless. It was for the best.

Alphys frowned as she spotted the child on the camera, and then typed some more info into her computer. She had been studying them, and was slowly gathering information. It scared her though. She had seen them die, a mountain bear having attacked them. They faded away, only to show up again. She had saved the recording, but as she thought about, things were clicking. If what Sans said was right…then they just needed to figure out where they were coming back.

She paused, and then her eyes lit up with an idea. That was it—maybe! She typed rapidly, her eyes scanning over the words as she went along. Perhaps—yes, if they could destroy that then—

Alphys's eyes went wide as she gasped. Her breathing suddenly became labored as she grabbed at her chest. But that wasn't where the problem was. Glancing at her monitor, she could see a child's reflection in it. A child with crimson red orbs. "You know what's funny?" they purred. "This is the first time I get to kill you, Alphys. You ran, the coward that you were. I never got the chance…and now…I finally get to see how you die."

Alphys breathed shakily, and then coughed, dust coating her lips. She felt hot and cold, strong and weak…afraid, and yet…an odd sense of tranquility was coming to her. The lizard swung back in retaliation as Chara ripped the blade back out. Alphys's legs wouldn't support her, and she and the chair both fell over, the crash causing piles of papers to fall onto the lizard as she forced herself back onto her hands and knees, coughing up more dust. She was already slipping; she'd have to act fast.

She knew she couldn't beat the human, it only took one strike to do this, but it was so powerful… Chara smirked, twirling their weapon with expertise. "Now, I can't let you go scurrying around with information about me. So all of this?" Chara laughed softly. "It's all gonna go, Doctor."

Alphys was a bit surprised when she began to laugh, already knowing what to do. "Oh…y-yes, it's go-gonna go somewhere…" She coughed again, hacking up more dust. Then she smirked, clarity returning to her eyes in her last moments as she spun, her thick tail hitting Chara's legs, knocking them off their feet. Alphys let out a weak yelp as she rose up, jamming a hand into the pocket of her lab coat, grabbing her cellphone, rapidly texting a command into it.

Chara gasped and lunged back up, but it was already too late. Machines whirled, and several rings of energy blasted out of the phone, hitting everything nearby, until the computer, and the monitor had the word 'send' repeating infinitely on their screens. The child snarled and grabbed Alphys by the collar. "The hell did you do?"

Alphys gave a weary smile. "I sent it everywhere…every computer connected to the network is going to g—get all the in—Information I have on you."

The child gave an irritated snort. "I thought you were a coward, you shouldn't have even moved."

"Admittedly, I surprised my—myself. Guess dying c—can give you things l—like courage for a f—few moments…"

They released the dying lizard, letting her drop onto the floor as they kicked at her desk, more things falling down on top of her. "Guess I can't stay here. A waste of time, and a bad move on my part. But no worries. Honestly, confronting others is the least of my concerns." With that, they walked out of the lab.

Alphys gasped softly, grabbing the figurine that had fallen from her desk, clutching it tight, she closed her eyes, silently crying, as she finally crumbled to dust. Her lab coat collapsed in on itself, and the figurine clattered to the floor when her hand crumbled away. Alphys, was no more.

The night was otherwise quiet. Uneventful, but when Undyne went to the lab with Papyrus and Sans the next morning, things started to take a turn for the worse. Undyne poked her head in. "Yo! Alphys? You up!?" She knew that if she was, she'd reply, and if she didn't, well, then she was fast asleep. The lizard was a bit hard to rouse.

Papyrus and Sans peeked in behind her, while Undyne smiled. "Must of stayed up late. Honestly, I need her to get a sleeping schedule. Make yourself at home down here, I'll go get her," she said, not giving the desk a second glance. It was always messy, so Undyne really didn't note that it was even messier than usual.

"My," Papyrus murmured, moving to an edge of the desk. "Her work area is as bad as your room."

"Nah," Sans said, leaning back against the wall. "She at least puts effort into everything that's on that desk."

"At least she has effort," Papyrus grumbled, habitually tiding up a few things, the messiness of the desk irking him a little. He liked things being straight and proper. He frowned when he saw the chair knocked over, and righted it, and that was when Sans perked, realizing that something was off. "There's even a lab coat down here, this needs to be cleaned—" Papyrus yelped in alarm as he was suddenly yanked across the room by his brother's magic, and kept to the south wall.

"Stay put," Sans stated before moving forward.

"Sans—"

The small skeleton whipped around, his eye blazing. "Stay. Put." His voice was quiet, so as to avoid getting Undyne's attention. His brother fell silent, knowing that this meant something serious, and his brother rarely ever was that. Sans cautiously moved forward, a sense of dread going through him. He knelt down, picking up the lab coat slowly, only to jerk to a halt as dust spilled out of the sleeves. "Oh Gods…"

His eyes snapped open wide as he heard Undyne coming down the stairs with her cellphone. "This is weird," she said. "She's not upstairs, not answering texts—not picking up, where is that nerd?" She jerked her head up as she saw Sans scramble away from the desk. "Sans?" she asked, beginning to approach. "What—"

"Nothing," he said, thinking rapidly. It wasn't meant to be a lie, he was trying to find the words, and needed to stall, but already, it was failing. He could hear Papyrus shuffle nervously, and that got Undyne's attention.

"What's going on?" she asked, beginning to move forward.

"Undyne, stop," Sans warned. He wasn't surprised when she took that as a challenge. He snapped his fingers as his hand glowed blue once more, and Undyne suddenly found herself floating in air.

"What in the—SANS!? THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" she demanded as he stared at the floor, refusing to look at her. "Put me down—Sans! If you know something, say it!" He couldn't help glancing to the desk, before quickly averting his gaze again, as Papyrus started to move forward. As innocent minded as he could be sometimes, Papyrus had sadly already pieced things together.

"Undyne…I don't think he should…" Papyrus murmured nervously.

"What are you talking about!?" she shouted angrily, kicking and fighting, trying to escape Sans's magic, but when she followed their averted gazes, she paused, seeing the lab coat, before suddenly screeching and her struggling grew rampant. "PUT ME DOWN SANS! PUT ME DOWN, DAMMIT!" But he refused.

Undyne began to struggle violently, forcing Sans to focus to keep her put. "Sans, I swear!" she shouted, desperately trying to summon a spear, not thinking straight, only knowing that her worst fear was just out of reach, and Sans wouldn't let her past so that she could prove herself wrong or right.

"U—Undyne!" Papyrus exclaimed. "Now isn't—!"

"SANS!" The smaller skeleton flinched. "PUT ME DOWN—PLEASE SANS!"

Sans eyes were open as he fought back tears. Knowing what would happen if he let her down…knowing she'd find out even if he didn't. He couldn't protect her from the hurt he unfortunately knew. Defeated, the smaller skeleton lowered her. "Sans?" Papyrus asked in concern, but he shook his head as Undyne roughly brushed past, dropping to her knees as her eyes widened in horror.

"A…" She shakily grabbed the lab coat, gently raising a sleeve. "Alphys…" she stammered, before a blood curdling screech rang out in the lab. "ALPHYS!" And with that, the denial began, but Sans knew it wouldn't last long.

He grabbed his brother, yanking him down to his level. "Keep her from hurting herself. Force her to the floor if you gotta, I'm gonna get help." With that, Sans bolted for the closest door, trying to keep it together whereas Papyrus was shaking like a leaf, trying to remain strong.

"No, no, no!" Undyne was looking around desperately, her mind trying to come up with any other explanation other than the blatantly obvious one that had slapped her in the face. "There's gotta be—it can't be hers—" She saw the computer, and shakily rose, turning it on.

"Undyne," Papyrus managed, stepping forward. "I don't think—"

"She's got cameras—we can find out what really happened—maybe she was attacked and she fought back and that's just someone else—"

While Papyrus tried to stop her, Sans crashed into the Royal's Home. "TORI! KING ASGORE!" he yelled. "WHERE ARE YOU!?" He heard the sound of a crashing plate in the kitchen, and he saw the king's door slam open, both of them nearly reaching the skeleton at the same time, both demanding what was wrong. He roughly grabbed their hands, and yanked them to the door, quickly yanking them through a short cut, while Frisk poked their head out of their room, shaking in fear of what had transpired to have caused such panic in Sans.

By the time they returned to the lab, they arrived to a disaster. Undyne was screaming bloody murder while Papyrus actually had her on her knees, his arms hooking hers as he used his magic to keep her from throwing him off. "DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM TO HELL! I'M GOING TO KILL THEM FOR THIS! I SWEAR IT!"

The royal couple was horrified and confused, but when Sans pointed at the lab cloak, it clicked. The two looked at each other, and then rushed over as Sans reluctantly moved to the computer, where the damned recording played. It was his worst fears confirmed as he saw them play. He turned to Undyne who was thrashing as Papyrus tried to keep her down. "Undyne…" Sans murmured. "You know you can't."

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Sans flinched, but knew better. He shouldn't take it to heart, she was grieving, and lashing out was not a surprise for someone like her. She suddenly slammed an arm back as she sprung up, throwing Papyrus, sending him crashing against a wall. In her grief, she was becoming exceptionally destructive, more so than normal, none of which, was good.

Realizing she was a hazard to herself, as well as others, Sans summoned his magic again, forcing her down. "Undyne! Stop, you're going to hurt yourself!" he demanded as she thrashed, resisting his gravity defying magic.

"I DON'T CARE!" she screeched. "LET ME GO!" When Sans didn't even budge, her temper flared. Sans saw her eye flash, and only barely registered that something was flying at him. He dove to the side, a spear tearing a pant leg. It was a clear miss, but Sans's magic faltered in stunned surprise, having not expected that from her. She sprung up again, but this time, a firm and strong set of arms came around her, stopping her from going on a rampage.

"Undyne," Asgore stated calmly, with only the slightest waver in his voice.

"NO! LET ME GO!" She said, slamming a fist in his chest repeatedly, but he didn't so much as flinch. "DAMMIT! ASGORE! LET ME GO—I HAVE TO—I GOTTA—Oh gods…A—Asgore…sh—she's gone…wh-what do I do…?" Her punches lost their strength as she suddenly sank in his grip, crying into him. His expression softened to a look of grief on his own face as he drew the female close, petting her back as she cried, not even attempting to fight back as Toriel came forward.

The brothers looked away, with Sans's eye blazing wildly. Somehow, that damn human had gotten in here! And now…Alphys was gone. There was nothing to be done. Try as they might, no one had the power to bring back the dead.

The day was long…word spread through the Underground like wildfire over the former Royal Scientist's death. Toriel was in tears as she, Sans, and Papyrus relayed the information to Frisk in their room, with Asgore away with Undyne, trying to soothe her. Frisk stared, stunned and dumbfounded, while Flowey shook in his pot.

Sure enough, the poor child started crying, but the three were quick to comfort, all kneeling and drawing the child into a three way hug as they sobbed and hiccupped, whimpering at what had become of one of their friends. They were nothing more than dust…but hadn't they been enjoying themselves just yesterday? How did that change so suddenly?

Originally, the brothers had intended to leave to allow everyone space to grieve, especially with Undyne lashing out so violently at her loss. However, Frisk—Frisk wailed at the idea, grabbing their hands, sobbing and begging them not to go, not wanting to be separated right now, fearing they'd lose another. In the end, the three thought up a compromise, and relayed it to Asgore.

That night, several mattresses were laid out in the living room, with the table and reading chair moved to the far sides to allow for more space. Blankets and pillows were abound, and that night, the six of them, slept together, with Asgore in the center, his former wife oddly cuddling into his side as she slept, seeking comfort after what had happened. Asgore kept his other arm around Undyne. In a sense, she was the daughter he never had; he wanted her to know he was there for her.

Frisk was actually asleep on the king's chest, using him as a bed and pillow, with a blanket over them, while the skeleton brothers were oddly sprawled out, somehow ending up laying across the king's stomach and legs as they moved about in their slumber. Papyrus rarely slept, but the day was emotionally taxing on him, and sleep beckoned him.

The doors were locked, the entrances well-guarded. No one was getting in easily. Flowey looked at them from where he had been placed on the table, quivering softly. Chara had started their Genocide, and some deeply rooted fear told him that Alphys was only the first.


	7. Sake of Every Soul

It was still the wee hours of morning when Frisk woke up atop Asgore's chest. They blinked in confusion, looking about the dark room, trying to remember what it was all about, and when they did, they covered their face, slipping off the king, and somehow getting over Undyne without waking anyone. Flowey perked in surprise when they grabbed his flower pot, and then headed out of the room.

When they reached the front door of the home, Frisk quietly went on tiptoes and unlocked it, but they jumped back with a choked squeak when two black armored guards turned to the door in surprise. However, they quickly realized it was the rabbit and dragon guard from Hotland. The rabbit one knelt, his drooping ears being the only thing to hint at his emotions behind his helmet. "Are you all right?" he asked the child, concern in his quiet voice.

Frisk sniffled, while Flowey looked up, surprising the guards—or, probably surprising the dragon, it was hard to tell. "Could they have a few moments alone?"

The rabbit hesitated, obviously conflicted with respecting boundaries, and his duties. The dragon rested a hand on his companion's shoulder. "We can guard from the yard's entrance," he stated simply.

"R—right…" The rabbit patted the child's head. "Let us know if you need anything else," they said as Frisk managed to nod to them in response. Then, he stood, and the two moved off to the other end of the yard, putting some distance between them. Frisk shuffled to the side of the house, dropping where there used to be a golden star. The golden star that would allow them to fix this.

Flowey was quiet, pondering on what to do with Alphys dead. No one else would be working in the lab now. The cameras would be tended to by the Royal Guards…everything else would simply collect dust now that she was gone. Flowey felt a drop of water land on his petals and wiggled his head in irritation, but otherwise didn't move, assuming the human had chosen to water him.

Another drop…and another…but no flowing stream of water, and with each drop, the flower grew a bit more annoyed. Until finally he reached the end of his ever so short rope of patience, and whipped around, about to give a shout at the human, but he choked it down as he looked up in stunned surprise. It hadn't been water…

It had been Frisk's tears. The child was crying, their breaths choked and soft, and their voice barely audible as always, which was why he hadn't picked up on it. The tears streamed down their face, sliding off their cheeks. Flowey shut his eyes as a few more fell down on him. The child had come out here, so as to not wake the others back into the reality they had fallen into. "Frisk…" Flowey started, not really knowing what to do.

They cried, and the flower could barely catch their soft words, as they would get cut off and stutter through their choked sobs. Flowey lowered his head, letting more tears fall upon him. They were begging, pleading for a reset. A second chance, but they couldn't find a star in the hopes of saving Alphys. "I know you want to do it," Flowey murmured. "But we can't…" As they sobbed louder, Flowey suddenly raised himself as tall as he could.

"Not yet."

Frisk gasped softly, and looked at Flowey. The flower looked at them straight in the eye. "If we can survive, find some way to override Chara's determination. We can get the stars back. Then we can try again…but that's if we survive long enough. After all, we need Chara gone to get the stars back, and yet we can't kill them. I can't promise anything with certainty, but the only way you can ever save her, is by a reset. …but I'll let you cross that bridge if we live long enough to get to it."

"But that leads to another problem," Flowey said. "To go back to when she lives…Chara will still be here despite your reset, so let me ask you…is Alphys worth that risk? Chara will likely be like me, they'll remember…whatever we use to subdue them may not work twice if you go back to save Alphys."

The child was silent, but then stood, shuffling their way to where the guards had gone, mumbling weakly to Flowey. They didn't know, but they wanted to go somewhere in hopes of making up their mind. Flowey bobbed his head, and when the guards turned to him, he spoke. "They want to go to the lab."

The dragon nodded. "Stay here," he told his partner. "I'll take them."

Frisk ended up being carried down to Hotlands as they cradled the flower. The dragon easily held them in the crook of his arm, his other hand free, ready to grab his weapon if need be. The trip was thankfully uneventful, but his little riders insisted that he wait at the junction. Frisk looked there, but even that save point did not appear to them.

Frisk carefully walked over to the lab as the guard went still. The door didn't open when they approached though. They lowered their head and knocked upon it, meekly hoping and wishing that it would open.

"Oh no…" a faint voice murmured behind the door. "Someone wants to get in but the door is locked…oh no…I should let them in…oh no…the door is really hard to open. Oh no…"

"Wait, Blooky—" came another voice, but the door already opened, revealing Napstablook, and Mettaton, who quietly brought a hand to his face. "Never mind…"

"Oh no…"

However, Mettaton paused in surprise when he realized that it was Frisk who stepped in with the flower and allowed the door to shut behind them. "Frisk, what are you doing here?" The robot knelt down. "This is no place for a child, human or monster."

"Did you need to ask the question?" Flowey replied. "In fact, they should be asking you the same thing."

Napstablook flew over. "We came to pay our respects…"

Mettaton nodded as the child looked up at him. "As you know," the robot started. "Alphys created my body. Without her, I wouldn't be here right now." A sad look came to the robot. "I had been hoping to rekindle our friendship, but it's too late for that." He looked at the mess at Alphys's desk, where she had taken her last stand. Then the robot looked back to Frisk, putting a hand on them. "Don't wait on things you want to do…you never know when life will snatch the opportunity away from you."

Flowey and Frisk noticed that while Mettaton didn't have his usual dramatic flair, he still had a way with his words to make them suited for being on TV. It was odd actually, how formal Mettaton was being, considering all the shenanigans he pulled back when Frisk was trying to get to the castle. Napstablook flew over. "When are we going to talk to Undyne…?"

"I'm not sure," Mettaton replied. "She was very close with Alphys, but I suppose when they do the funeral, we can at least bring the poster since the figurine is already gone. What you want to talk about should be saved for the King."

Flowey raised his head a bit at that. While Frisk shuffled away toward the desk. Alphys's coat and her dust had been removed at this point, but some signs of the struggle still remained, and with that the child broke down again. "Oh no…" Napstablook moved over. "What do we do…?"

Mettaton came over, and picked up the crying child. "What we can," he said as Flowey hunkered down in the pot. Frisk wasn't going to be easily soothed, and Flowey saw little point in words and cuddling when none of it would bring Alphys back to them.

Back at the Royal's Home, Sans stirred, his pupils slowly lighting up. Where was he…? Oh…right. They had promised the kid to not leave them alone tonight. He tiredly sat up, rubbing his eyes before looking at everyone, adjusting his shirt, his hoodie on a chair. Then he paused. _Wait…something ain't right…the kid's not here…_ He carefully stood, stifling a yawn, and escaped the tangled pile with ease, cheating his way to the bedroom hall, opening their door. Empty.

So was the newly installed bathroom for them. _K, kid, where are you? I don't like this._ He was starting to pick up his pace. Toriel's and Asgore's rooms. Empty. The kitchen. _Okay, kid, starting to panic here! Where are you!?_ As he moved back into the living room, he realized that the kid wasn't the only one missing. He paused, and then dove back into the kitchen, appearing in the yard, nearly smacking into the back of the Rabbit Guard who then turned abruptly. "Where's the kid?"

Not even a minute later, Sans rushed into the lab. "Kid? KID—" He stopped abruptly, finding Mettaton leaning against the wall, sitting with the child in his lap, with Napstablook draped over their shoulders, the ghost and the child both in tears. Frisk jerked their head up while Flowey lowered his head further, not surprised when Frisk started another round of sobbing.

Sans raced over and picked up the kid. "It's okay, buddy," he soothed, petting their back. "I've got ya', I'm here. Cry all you like," he told them as they cried into his shoulder. Hiccupping Alphys's name as they whimpered, shuddering in his hold while clinging to fistfuls of his shirt. "I know, kid, I know," Sans murmured. "It hurts bad, it's gonna keep hurting ya, and we don't have the power to fix that. Cry it out, now. I'm still here."

He gently petted their hair, and habitually, as if he had done it before, he gently bounced the child, something meant for someone a little younger as he began to hum softly to them, a tune as old as time, a tune that human and monster knew well. He still knew the words, having to help a different child sleep at times, but he didn't trust his voice. He needed to remain a strong pillar; a strong pillar that would never crack, never crumble, and absolutely never crush those around it.

At long last their crying stopped, and the child slowly went limp in his hold. They ran out of breath, their voice was lost from crying. They had ran out of tears…and they finally cried themselves back to sleep.

"There you go, Kid," Sans murmured quietly. "Just get some sleep. Can't have you dead to the world right now." He glanced at the robot and the ghost. "Thanks for taking care of 'em."

Mettaton nodded slowly as he rose, holding the flower pot. "It was not a problem, but could we have a word with you?"

"Sure, but can I ask how you two got in here? This was supposed to be locked."

"I phased in and opened the door," Napstablook replied. "Oh no…I'm sorry…"

"Water under the bridge at this point. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Napstablook paused, and looked to Mettaton, who opened a compartment in his chest and pulled out what looked like a flash drive. "Napstablook got an email from Alphys last night."

Sans jerked. "What—?" he stammered as he took the flash drive.

"I got it last night..." Napstablook murmured. "I mentioned it to my music forum…we all got it…we didn't know what to do cause it was just files…so we all thought to leave it be…but then we heard…oh no…so I wanted to bring it here…but oh no, no one in the castle has a computer…so I couldn't send it. Oh no…but I found you."

"It must have been what she sent when she was attacked…" Sans gently closed his fingers around it. "I'll look at it, thanks for bringing it, but uh…I need to get kiddo and the flower back home before people wake up and realize they're missing," he said as he put the child a bit more over his shoulder and took Flowey back. He glanced back at them, and then moved out of the door to get the other Guard. "Hey," he told the dragon. "I know a shortcut."

After returning back to the Royal's Home, he put Flowey back on the table and laid down with Frisk, using his Hoodie as a blanket for them as he hugged them close, tiredly petting their back as they kept hold of his shirt as they tried to burrow into him. A sad smile came to him. At least they were endearing.

Yet, when Sans found that sleep wouldn't return to him, he went to get up, and shook his head when the kid decided to be a sloth and not let go, but he eventually got them to somehow trade for a slumbering Papyrus and wrote a note, sticking it in front of Flowey. "Make sure they see this," he said, and then headed to the kitchen after trading Frisk a blanket so that he could have his hoodie back. Flowey glared at the note explaining that if anyone wanted him, they just needed to call.

Sans opted to use his brother's computer when he appeared in their home, not wanting to use his messy room. He put the flash drive in, and began looking over what Alphys's death message was, the one she was so determined to send, that she did it as she died. Sans blinked as the screen lit up and he began to read things over.

His eyes widened a little as he looked at recordings she had saved, and for the next hour or two, he scanned through theories, ideas falling and clicking into place. Alphys's theory was unfinished due to the missing pieces…but Sans had those. What was needed was to get Chara to confront their constants. He thought back to what Flowey had told him. Yes, that's it; he needed to lure them there…but how? It was on the opposite side of the Underground from where they had been making their attacks.

This was problematic. They would likely catch on to their targets fleeing to the other side, plus, it meant that everyone between the two places would be in danger. Sans sighed, thinking. Maybe, if he was careful, he could risk trying to grab the kid and yank them through a short cut. It would be extremely risky, one wrong move, and he'd be dead—though he had a feeling he'd be dead no matter how it played out. If Chara didn't kill him before he yanked them through, they'd likely get him afterwards when they stumbled out.

However, for the sake of every soul, that might just be what he had to do.

Frisk stirred again as they finally began to wake, feeling numb. They looked to Flowey, reading Sans's note, and then picked Flowey up. They'd go out into the yard, that's all, so that way if they started crying, no one would hear. They grabbed their shoes, quickly putting them on, but as they neared the door, they frowned, hearing something outside that was muffled by the door. Were the guards talking? Without thinking it over, as they were still drained of energy, they opened the door.

Just in time to see the two guards crumble to dust, their armor clanking to the ground in front of the Frisk and Flowey. They stared in horror, shakily looking up to see a surprised Chara. "Really?" they hissed in irritation. "You couldn't have stayed asleep for five more minutes to make it simple?" they demanded as they bolted forward.

Frisk screamed bloody murder, instantly waking up the household as they ran for the stairs, running down them while Chara simply jumped over the railing. It took a few critical moments for the four to get untangled from each other, but Undyne had caught sight of them, and with a screech, bolted after them. "UNDYNE!" the other three cried out in alarm, racing after her, knowing it'd be horrible if she engaged in battle with the child in such a state of grief.

As they ran, Toriel grabbed her phone, but using it and running at the same time was difficult, and while they had longer strides than the children, the children had gotten a decent head start, not needing to detangle from one another. As the monsters entered the throne room, she finally got it to call Sans's cell.

"Hello—"

"SANS! You need to go to the barrier now!" she exclaimed desperately. "The other human, they—"

"WHAT!?" Sans jumped up and raced for the door, but even though he teleported, he was still a bit behind the kids. They raced out of the barrier, with Frisk quickly racing down the slopes, trying to flee, feeling danger.

"Frisk! RUN!" Flowey yelled in terror, utterly defenseless in the pot he was being kept in. It was terrifying, knowing that the other child had already cut down several other guards, and had Frisk not woke when they did; they might have had even more deaths. Frisk stumbled, having a hard time seeing in the darkness, as the sun was only just beginning to rise.

Sans barreled down the slope after them, using his blue magic as he raced, but just as he was about to snag Chara, the two children vanished out of sight. He cursed under his breath and rushed to where they vanished, breathing heavily as an inner rage began to burn. _Get a grip, Sans,_ he muttered to himself as he scanned desperately for the kids. He caught sight of them, and his blue eye blazed. Frisk had fallen—Chara was going— "NO!" His shout came loud—louder then he meant, his energy surged as he jumped down the slope, warnings in the past echoed, reminding him that maybe blowing up half the mountain side was not a good idea!

He didn't care about the bloody mountain, he had to save Frisk! He jumped off a small ledge, landing harshly; blue energy seeping from him and into the ground as he ran, but he didn't notice as he grabbed Chara with his magic, and rammed them against a tree. He had to do it now, if he could get them moved, then they could end this before anymore fell to their blade!

Sans snarled as he reached Chara as Frisk got back to their feet. Yet just as he was about to grab them, the ground shook roughly and everyone was knocked off their feet. Sans hit the ground roughly, his magic faltering and dropping the sadistic human as the mountain rumbled. If Sans could have gone pale, he would have, knowing what had caused the ground to shake so.

The rumbling stopped, but then another sound got their attention. They whipped around, staring up high where a rock slide began, shaking the ground once more. They fought for balance while Frisk yelped, falling again. "KID!" Sans saw the boulder coming for them, and tried to focus his magic while on the unstable ground.

Something blazed past Sans, snatching Frisk up just before the boulder smashed down on them. "Don't worry, human, I've got you!" Papyrus. The taller skeleton didn't stop though as he leapt into the trees, vanishing as he ran to get the little child to safety. Unfortunately, Sans had to flee in the other direction as the rocks continued to smash down. Thankfully, he was able to get behind a large tree as rocks continued to crash.

Chara fled down the slope, taking note of where Papyrus had ran off with Frisk and Flowey. Sans growled in annoyance, not risking moving with the rock slide going on. He poked his head around the tree, his fingers digging into the wood. On the path back to the Underground, he could see Asgore, Toriel, and Undyne, safe and out of harm's way as they looked down at the mess.

"NO!" Toriel cried out in stunned horror as she watched the rockslide, trying to spot survivors or victims. Undyne looked wildly about, and then caught sight of Chara. She bolted forward with Asgore's eyes widening as he realized what she was doing.

"UNDYNE!" he roared, lunging forward to grab her, but it was already too late as she jumped out of reach, his hand only snagging air. The two boss monsters watched, terrified as she landed expertly on a sliding rock. Undyne, the reckless one, somehow didn't fall; then again, with the type of puzzles she was known to set up, she was basically in her element as she rode it down.

Sans saw her go past, catching the anguished look on her face. He reached out, wanting to grab her with his magic, but he pulled back as he started to slip, and grabbed the tree again. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he got crushed in the rock slide trying to stop her. He would just have to hope she would handle herself.

It seemed like forever to Sans, but eventually, the rockslide stopped. He looked worriedly up and down for more boulders, and then stepped out of his shelter. "Sans!" He jerked his head up to see Toriel and Asgore racing as quickly as they dared over the remaining mess. Toriel raced to him and grabbed him. "Are you all right—are you hurt!?"

"I'm fine—I'm sorry—" Sans stammered. "But we have to catch up to Undyne—Papyrus got Frisk, they'll be fine!" It wasn't going to be easy though with all the new hazards in the way.

Some ways below, Undyne was slowly moving, looking about for the human, knowing they were nearby. "All right, coward," she snarled. "Where are you hiding?" She almost didn't hear it. The rustle of leaves in some bushes on a slight ridge behind her; she almost didn't hear the metal blade rushing at her. However, she did hear it, and with a battle cry, she spun, summoning her spear, blocking the attack, and then rammed back, sending Chara flying.

The child hit a tree, crying out as Undyne rushed forward, swinging her spear at them, and turning their soul green. They jumped up, as if preparing for something, but Undyne smirked as a look of stunned confusion came to their faces. "What? Expecting something special?" She gave a snort. "No, I'm not giving you a spear like I do with most I fight with. You didn't show any honor or fairness to Alphys, so why the Hell should I even consider giving any to you!?" She clenched her weapon tight. "You're going to regret ever touching her! Because I won't let you defend, and I won't allow you to run away to hurt others." She trembled. "Prepare to lay in a dungeon, in paralyzing agony for the rest of your life, because I'm sure as Hell not gonna show you any mercy."


	8. Unimaginable Pain

Undyne didn't waste a single second as she sent a volley of spears at Chara, not even taking it easy on her first attack like she normally would have. Chara's eyes were wide as they raised their knife, using it as a makeshift shield; the problem was that they had to be precise, one wrong move, and the spear would make it through. However, their blade merely weakened Undyne's attacks, causing the magical spears to just have lower damage as it went through the blade.

Chara found ways to improvise though, turning to the sides when they could so that the spear would barely touch them, but the attacks were fast, and hard to keep up with. It didn't help that Undyne was already using her trick spears that would change their direction at the last second. Undyne hadn't been joking when she said she wouldn't take it easy on the human.

Not that it was to be unexpected. Undyne cared deeply for Alphys, and the one night she didn't spend over…was the night that Alphys had needed her. With another shriek of pure rage, Undyne sent another volley. In the back of her mind, she knew she couldn't kill them, but she would take them to their knees, begging and whimpering for mercy she would never show.

"I should toss you down into the abyss!" she screeched as she sent another spear at them. "But it would probably spit you back out!" Some of her spears were missing in her anguish, giving Chara a slight advantage, but Undyne was still managing a few decent hits, but with a hundred hit points, Chara would have to be slowly whittled down. Not that Undyne cared. The more health, the more they would suffer!

Yes, the spears were more powerful than Chara remembered. Then again, when they had fought Undyne before, she had lost Papyrus, not Alphys. This was a whole other level of grief and anger being directed at them. Not that Chara cared too much. Monsters, humans, everyone…they were all the same. They could all go die in a fire.

Chara leaned to the side, a spear narrowly missing them, cutting through the lower part of their shirt, exposing their stomach. That had been closer than what they wanted, but with their soul green, they couldn't do much. They had to wait it out, knowing it would revert back to red briefly and allow them to move around freely. It was then that they would attack, and they were counting on Undyne's emotional mindset to allow them an easy opening.

They grunted as a spear hit them, dispersing as it did so, taking a small chunk of their health as they fell backwards onto the ground as Undyne glared down at them, summoning another volley of spears. "You're going to regret ever coming here!" she yelled as the spears came crashing down.

Chara leapt to their feet, swaying this way and that. They couldn't dodge all the spears, but at least this way, some were only partially hitting them, and not damaging them so badly. Undyne was relentless however, summoning more and more spears as the human continued to dodge. She may not be out to kill, but she wouldn't be upset if she maimed them, or even paralyzed them so that they were helpless.

"You're going to suffer!" The heartbreak became evident in her voice as she attacked again, taking a bit more of Chara's health. Alphys had been a friend, and a special one at that, even if she didn't care to admit it to others, and just when things were starting to go smoothly, the human tore it away without even batting an eye at all the hurt they had caused.

Undyne didn't care what happened to her anymore, so long as she could avenge Alphys.

Alphys…she remembered when they had met.

Undyne had gone to the dump with her trash, intending to stay and scavenge for swords...and that was the first time she had seen the Royal Scientist, staring quietly down into the Abyss. Undyne had casually tossed her trash into another pile. "Hey," she had called, startling the lizard. "You don't like you're from around here."

The lizard gawked, staring in surprise. "Y—you're…o—o—oh m—my god…"

Undyne laughed. "Don't let your jaw hit the water," she joked. She was a bit used to strangers recognizing her at this point; due to being the Captain of the Royal Guard. "So, did you move in, or just visiting Waterfall?"

"I—uh—I…um…I had a erm…j—just visiting. I—I'm from Hotland—uh…you okay?" she asked as Undyne made a face.

"Sorry," the fish-woman apologized. "Not really a fan of the place."

"I g—guess that makes sense," the lizard said with a shiver. "It p—probably isn't g—good for you to be in such a hot place."

"Ugh, I know, but if I want to get to the castle, I need to cut through there." She made an exaggerated sound. "Or, Asgore could get a cell phone…"

The lizard looked down sheepishly. "W—would you be o—opposed to going s—still if some—someone put a water cooler between the b—beginning of Hotland and the elevators?"

"No way, that would be great," Undyne replied. "Then I wouldn't feel like I'm dying while going through there…especially in my armor."

"Then I could s—see if I can install one—"

"What—really?" Undyne asked in surprise. "You can do that?"

"I—it helps to be the…R—Royal Scientist…"

Undyne stared in surprise. "You're—wow! I didn't realize! You're Alphys, aren't you!?"

The lizard went red. "Y—yeah…?"

"Asgore's been talking about you!" Undyne exclaimed, not taking notice of how much redder the poor thing was getting. "Heh, glad to finally meet you, but what brings you here?"

"I…c—come here to scavenge th—things th—that fall do—down here for experiments and such…and s—sometimes just to think…" she murmured, her gaze going quietly back to the abyss.

"Heh, guess Waterfall has that vibe to it," Undyne said as she came closer, looking down into the Abyss. "So, what do you think is down there?"

Alphys smiled slightly. "I've got so many theories about that. It could just be an endless maze of waterways, another passage out of the mountain, or…" The lizard paused, looking away sheepishly.

"Or what?" Undyne asked, genuinely curious.

"It would probably sound silly…"

"Aw, come on, try me," Undyne insisted.

"Asgore probably told you what I've been doing…"

"Sorta? Something about trying to use our own soul power to break the barrier or something like that."

Alphys nodded. "It had me researching, and you know, it made me think about where souls go. Maybe they go down there."

"Huh, that's interesting."

"I could go on for hours about this…"

"Then keep going!"

The effect on Chara's soul vanished, and with silent precision, they lunged, leaping at Undyne. Her eye widened as the blade came forward, plunging into her vision with searing, indescribable, horrible, unimaginable pain. Undyne screamed as Chara wrenched the blade back, falling away as Undyne blindly swung, restricting them again. Undyne brought a hand to her eye, feeling blood pour onto her hand.

Blood…good, she was holding on, but as Undyne wiped the blood away, the blackness of her vision remained. She stiffened, clenching her spear. She was blind. Fully blind. The darkness surrounded her completely. A chill ran through her as the reality crushed down on her spirit. She couldn't see—she couldn't see!

Undyne held her breath, taking it in swiftly. Another door closed in her face, and locked forever. No more being able to fight on her own…or at all, no more independence, or watching anime…or even having the option to look at pictures of her loved ones that had vanished. All that she had left were voice recordings.

But then again, Undyne realized, that in a bit, it may not matter at all if she could see or not. She lightly touched the eye patch she wore, unknowingly getting blood on it. If she could go through life without one, then she could get through the rest of it without both. She listened keenly, and then sent a volley of spears forward. "Do you think I can't hit you just because I can't see!?" she demanded. "You're out of luck; I'll still take you down!"

Chara narrowly dodged some of the spears, but when one hit the child, Undyne went wild, sending several where she had heard the sound. Undyne was relentless, never caring how close she would bring this human to death. So long as she didn't kill them, it wouldn't matter. Besides, she had little to nothing left to lose. At this point, it was just to protect the last of her friends, and the Underground…and if she didn't survive, then it would just be written down as a valiant last stand from Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard.

Undyne fought in the permanent blackness of her world, each little sound being her target to strike. Was the soul lock still going? How much longer did it have? Undyne would have to be extra careful, knowing that if the human got loose again, she'd be in even bigger trouble than before. A sound, the human was still in front of her as she summoned more magical spears.

Chara grunted as several hit them, taking their health down to a considerable amount, but with all the EXP and LV they had, they were still standing strong. They would just have to wait for an opening, and then they could strike at her again, their weapon having taken a considerable amount of health when they had struck her with that one blow.

Undyne screamed as she sent another volley down, the pain was agony, her grief felt worse, weighing down on her heart as the guilt and regrets built up upon her. She had to stay strong, stay standing; she couldn't let this human win! She wouldn't be defeated! She was Undyne! Captain of the Royal Guard! Undyne the Undying was a name she intended to keep until she could render this human helpless!

 _Alphys…_ Undyne managed, in her thoughts, her inner voice just as choked. _I promise…I'll avenge you…because that's all I can offer._

Ever since the barrier had opened, Undyne had been helping Alphys with finding some way to amend for her experiments, trying to find some way to separate the Amalgamates. Undyne had stayed up late with her on several occasions as she pulled all-nighters, trying to somehow separate them, and keep them alive in their previous forms.

Alphys needed the confidence boost, and Undyne was more than happy to supply it. Whenever they reached a dead-end, she was the one that brought Alphys back out of the dumps…sometimes literally in certain cases when she'd actually go to the dumps to mope. Other times, Undyne would simply pick up the lizard, remove her glasses and put them on the desk, and then dangle her upside down, messing with her until she finally laughed.

"Come on, Alphy," Undyne would say before tossing her up onto her shoulders. "We don't tend to get things our first try, I mean, it took me ages to beat Asgore in a fight. So you're not going to find an answer right away, but relax. They've all been holding together—literally. You have time. So take a deep breath…Alphy, take another. There, better. Look, let's just try from a different angle. If we can't figure out how to get from Point A to Point B, let's see if we can figure out how to get from Point B to Point A."

Alphys froze. "Uh…Alphy?" Then she yelped as the lizard began to flail.

"Why didn't I think of that sooner?" Alphys exclaimed, yelping as she fell, hitting the floor with a grunt, before scurrying over to her desk. "Maybe that's what I need to look at! Start at the end!"

"Because that makes logical sense."

"Have you not seen anime?"

"…point taken."

It was in that moment that Alphys had a breakthrough. It wasn't perfect, they still didn't know what would fix things, but Undyne found that there were fewer times Alphys would be moping in a corner, or visiting the dumps for other reasons aside from salvaging. The lizard was tired more often, simply because she and 'sleep' didn't seem to share a timeline.

However, Undyne was there, supporting her through thick and thin. She tended to fall asleep early on in the nights, but she would surprise Alphys sometimes with drinks. Sometimes tea, or hot chocolate, and once in a while, a soda. Though, when Undyne felt she was working too much, she would literally carry her out of the lab and take her somewhere to just hang out. It didn't really matter where so long as Alphys could stop frying her brain for a little bit.

Things had been getting better for Alphys…she was starting to have faith in herself, and finally emerging from her shell as Undyne and the others broke down the walls she had built around herself. But now…those moments were all gone. There would be no more all-nighters. Undyne couldn't do anything with them. There would be no breakthroughs. Undyne was no scientist. There would no longer be nights of watching anime…because she could no longer see…because Alphys would no longer be there.

The animes would no longer play. The lab would always be empty. There would no longer be progress in her research. The lab coat was forever hung up. The poster rolled up, and the figurine tucked away forever, and now, Undyne couldn't even have the right to seeing pictures, to look back at memories. Short lived memories, for the one month of happiness Alphys was starting to have.

All because of that damn human! It was all gone because of them! "YOU DEMON!" Undyne screeched, hearing a spear hit Chara. She summoned more, having them all crash down in the area where she had heard the human cry out. Chara narrowly avoided getting hit lethally a few times, their health nearly reaching its midpoint.

It was then that their soul restriction left them, and with another yelp to tell Undyne their current location, they swiftly and silently leapt away as spears lodged into where they had been standing. Undyne went dead silent, trying to listen, her ear fins wiggling as she tried to locate the human, and pinpoint where her spears needed to land.

Chara picked up a small rock with a smirk and tossed it into their original position. Undyne snapped to attention, sending spears while Chara moved, using Undyne's own attacks as cover for themselves as they slowly got behind her, grabbing another rock just in case. When Undyne's attacks settled, she paused, ear fins moving. Chara's breath stilled and they threw the rock over Undyne's head, allowing it to land a bit away from where Undyne had originally sealed them.

"Don't think you can run!" Undyne yelled, using her soul restriction, not realizing that she was facing in the completely wrong direction. Not until she screamed as pain blossomed in her lower torso. Chara smirked, their blade imbedded in her, but they hadn't expected for what happened next. The pain didn't shut Undyne down; it fueled her for a last stand.

She screamed her emotional and physical pain, and swung her spear, the flat end of it coming into contact with Chara's head, and sending the child falling back on the ground. Undyne stepped on their chest, and from where the human's sounds were coming from, she judged where to send her spear. The human gave a blood curdling scream as the spear drove through their shoulder and into the ground, rendering their left arm useless.

Undyne panted heavily as the human squirmed, unable to reach their dropped blade, or get out from underneath Undyne. It seemed that perhaps, she had been victorious. The fish woman shook and shuddered, and brought her spare hand to her new wound, but froze. Her hand didn't find blood. No…she felt dust. Undyne quivered, trying to rein her emotions in, but she was already beginning to cry. "Alphys…" she managed, her voice tight.

Unless she could somehow keep herself together until someone found her…no…she couldn't hear anybody, she'd be gone before they got here. "Alphys…I'm so sorry…" she managed. She would crumble, her body would vanish…so would the spear that held Chara down, as it was made by her magic.

However, as Undyne felt her form start to give way, she managed a small, sad smile. She did manage something in her last moments. Chara was injured. The others could at least use that to their advantage—they could have an easier time in catching Chara if they couldn't use their left arm at all. She flinched, and then turned her head up to the sky. She couldn't see it, but she could feel dawn's light falling down on her…and it felt so lovely. "Alphys…"

Her body gave way, and Undyne crumbled to dust, her spear fading away. Her casual clothing collapsed in on itself. Undyne, the undying…had breathed her last, and had followed Alphys into the beyond…perhaps into the abyss that the lizard had theorized.

Undyne's eye patch slowly fluttered down, only to be sliced in half by Chara's blade, and stomped into the ground upon her dust.


	9. Don't you Know

"I just…" Toriel shook her head. "I just don't understand. That was but a human child, how did they get past the guards?"

"They've been building up EXP and LV," Sans muttered. "Most monsters are probably going to be easy enemies for them…" Sans sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry I didn't remember the details sooner…"

"Remember?" Asgore murmured, raising a brow as he helped the two over a large pile of rocks.

"Remember what I said about being able to remember resets that can be done by the kid? Well, there was a major reset, all the way back to when they had fallen, but…something happened, something went wrong, and this human—unlike Frisk—they slaughtered whoever was in their way. I remembered fighting them…" Sans stared at the ground, kicking a loose pebble.

"Now it may not seem like it," the skeleton murmured. "But I can pack a lot of punch if I'm forced to." Sans's eye began to glow. "If I really need to hurt someone, I can, and I can hurt them badly. This human—no, I don't think that's what they were at this point. In that timeline, I was the last line of defense between them and the throne room." Sans rested a hand on his skull. "I remember killing them. Once, twice, thrice…over and over until I'm sure we both lost count." Toriel put a hand over her mouth in stunned alarm. Sans just didn't seem to be the type to do such things.

"To put that story short…they memorized my attacks," Sans murmured. "Eventually…they won, and then…black. The next thing I know, I'm waking up from a nightmare, the events slipping away from me like when you try to remember a fast-paced dream…and that's what I thought it was, a horrid nightmare, problem was, it was very real. After my death, someone—something reset everything."

"But…how can anyone hold such power—and why can only certain souls remember it?" Toriel asked.

Sans shrugged. "Something…someone? I know there was something to protect a few of us…I was one of them, but I think something happened to whoever made that possible. I can't remember them."

"We'll need to figure out who that was then," Toriel replied. "They may be the only ones with the knowledge of how to get rid of such a power."

Asgore nodded, helping them over a fallen tree. "As soon as we get the child contained and locate everyone, we'll head back and search for answers," he said.

"Yes," Toriel murmured, jumping off the log as she held Asgore's hand, while Sans levitated over it, where under normal circumstances, he would have straddled it and ungracefully fell off the other side because he'd be too lazy to bother with it, and it annoyed his brother, which was somewhat of a bonus, since Papyrus had such amusing reactions.

However, now was not the time. Sans was taking this seriously. They had already lost Alphys, and probably a handful of Royal Guards, and goodness knows what Undyne was doing. Honestly, that woman had more stubbornness than anyone, but with her emotional turmoil, she was more dangerous…but less cautious. Sans just hoped she hadn't gone and done something stupid, because he didn't have the magic to help her like his brother did.

Something moved, and Asgore caught sight of it, and reacted, as he shoved Toriel and Sans out of a blade's path. Toriel stumbled, catching herself, but Sans wasn't so fortunate, his foot catching a risen root before he found himself tumbling. By the time he processed the situation; he crashed into some bushes by an overhang, and was tangled upside down over empty air.

"ASGORE!" Toriel cried out in stunned horror as the king knelt in front of her, breathing heavily, before rising, one hand gripping his trident, the other being placed over a wound that bled red.

"I'm fine," he managed, his voice even. "Just a scratch."

"Should have just been one hit for you, old man…"

The two boss monsters jerked their head up to the human wielding the blade in their good arm, the other dangling at their side as they panted heavily. Their blade and their clothes splattered with red and dust.

"I'm afraid it takes more than one hit," Asgore said as he prepared to attack as Toriel summoned her fire.

"You're going to be a bit more of a hassle," the human muttered. "No matter, I'll just take you both down again."

Asgore's eyes flashed a series of orange and blue before he lunged forward. "Have at thee!" he roared.

The human snapped to attention with a gasp, getting hit on the first swing. They cried out, flying into a tree, landing roughly with a shriek on their bad arm, but somehow, they remained determined, slowly getting to their feet as blood seeped from a cut on their forehead. "Careful," the human said as they staggered. "Killing me will put her efforts to waste. Your Captain really gave you a valiant last stand."

Both Boss Monsters froze, their eyes going wide as it clicked. Undyne was… Asgore gave a thunderous roar. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" The human was ready that time, paying attention to his eyes as they ducked and weaved, but they gasped in alarm as a fireball hit them. They whipped their head around to see Toriel using her magic, tears in her eyes.

Chara never fought Asgore in their world. He had been unwilling to fight, not realizing what they were, and thus, his defenses were down, and he had been a one hit kill. This was different. He was fighting—they didn't know his attack patterns and had to rush around just to evade in the nick of time. Now, not only did they have to worry about his attacks, but Toriel's as well, which thankfully for them, they were mostly familiar with.

The human realized though, that if this kept up, they would be overwhelmed. They would have to pull a wild card, turn the tables, and take the royals down. It didn't matter anyways; they were all the same, all the same, no matter what. They smirked, and knew which one to go to, the one who would lower their defenses to them, simply on instinct.

Below them on the slope, Sans finally clambered back up from the ledge, untangling the rest of the plant from him, before whipping his skull up, eyes somehow widening. He gave a gasp of horror and rushed toward the fray. No, no, no, no!

Chara dodged past Asgore's blade, and then raced for Toriel. "Oh, mother~" Toriel frowned and charged up another spell.

"Don't you 'mother' me child," she growled lowly as the child leapt, but time almost seemed to slow.

"Mother," they repeated, smiling as they came down. "Buttercups are poisonous, don't you know?"

Toriel gasped, her magic faltering as her eyes went wide. That couldn't be—no it couldn't… "Cha—" Pain bloomed in her chest.

"TORI!" Asgore and Sans cried out, as time reverted back to normal as Toriel fell back, the memories playing out. With blue magic encasing the child, sending them flying as Sans raced up the slope as he watched the Queen hit the ground. She remembered…

She had been in her reading chair that afternoon. Back when the kingdom still mostly lived in the current day Ruins. Asgore had just come back from another exploration deeper into their kingdom, trying to see where they could safely extend their kingdom due to the crowding in the Ruins. "How was your trip, dear?"

"Good, actually," he managed, chuckling when she smiled at his snow dusted body. "We actually found that it isn't just snow till the end."

"Oh?" she asked as she stood, coming over, giggling as she helped dust him off. "What did you find?"

"There's a warmer area in the caverns, I think many of our aquatic monsters would like it," he explained.

"They'd certainly appreciate it," she replied. "There isn't much water here for them to live in."

"It will take some time though," Asgore murmured. "They'd have to trek through a lot of snow in order to get there."

"I'm sure we'll find a way," Toriel assured.

"Mama! Papa!" The parents jerked their heads up to Asriel's calls, and without hesitation, they rushed to the front door.

"Asriel, are you—" They jerked to a halt, when they found that he was helping a human stay on their feet. The human gasped, and then went behind Asriel, grabbing his shoulders as they shuddered, trying to hide.

"It's okay!" Asriel said, trying to assure all three. "These are my parents…" He glanced up to them. "They fell down that hole in the garden—I think they're hurt."

Both parents blinked in stunned bewilderment, before Toriel knelt down. "I'll need to see them to help."

The human's grip tightened, causing Asriel to flinch. "Okay—okay—um…" He slowly moved so that the child could keep him between them and his parents. "I think they're scared, I'll take them to my room…" The parents looked to each other, and then stepped out of the way, allowing Asriel to walk backwards with the child, and then open his bedroom door, with the child rushing in.

The prince followed them in, but came out a few minutes later, explaining to his parents in greater detail of what had happened. Toriel looked to Asgore in concern. "Dear… What do we do? They are just a child."

Asgore was quiet for several long moments. They both knew the human could be key to getting them out…but with just one. "I think we should take them in, Tori." They looked at each other, silently knowing why. Humans lived short lives compared to monsters, and with only one soul, it would be unfair to take it now. Eventually, they'd age and die…if they must, they'd take the soul then.

Asriel gasped in surprise. "Really, they can stay with us?" he asked excitedly. Being the shy, docile type, Asriel had found it hard to make friends, and his prince ranking made it a little harder, as other children either assumed he'd be snooty, or would take advantage of his position. Here, the human wouldn't know which way it was.

Asgore nodded. "For the time being, for now though…seeing how scared of us they are, let us know when they sleep, your mother will heal them then."

Toriel gave a hum of agreement. "They must be hungry though, I'll make a pie for dinner, and you can bring it to them."

"Wow! Thanks Mom!"

"Just please keep your door open," Asgore told the child.

"Okay!" With that, the boy raced back over to his room, and with that done, the child stayed with them. That night, Toriel found to her relief, that the child only had some minor injuries, but afterwards, things were odd. The child clung to Asriel as if he were a life preserver out in the ocean. They dodged being in a room alone, and never spoke a single word. Though Asriel assured them they could actually talk, and that their name was Chara.

The parents tried their best to befriend the frightened human, but they were quite intimidating in size. And as time went by, they didn't seem to be making head way. Asgore even came home a few times to find Toriel crying at her lack of being able to connect with the child, since it was well-known that she adored little ones.

One day, the human came down with a fever. Toriel had sent Asgore and Asriel out to get medicine. She sat by the bed, dabbing their forehead with a damp cloth, looking down at them worriedly as they drifted into consciousness, whimpering as they saw her. "Am I that terrifying to you?" Toriel asked quietly, causing them to freeze. "You're so distrusting…I don't know what happened to you before you came here, and how you learned to isolate yourself, but I promise…we're not like them. Whatever they did to you, I promise, I won't let it happen to you again…"

Thankfully, they had gotten better within a week, but with the constant 24/7 care cut between Asgore, Toriel, and Asriel, there was a change in the child. They no longer hid behind the prince, and instead, stood side by side. And that was how it was, and a month later, the royal family decided upon a picnic in the gardens.

The king and queen sat together, talking and laughing, keeping an eye on the children as they ran around, gathering flowers, but eventually, the two had returned, having made crowns out of the flowers. Asriel giggled. "Daddy, I can't reach!" Asgore chuckled, lowering his head so that they could put the floral crown around his horns.

Toriel giggled at the sight, and then paused as the human shuffled over shyly, and held up the crown of flowers. She smiled, and lowered her head, allowing them to place the flowers on her though she was caught off guard when they suddenly hugged her tight. She blinked, and then drew her arms around them, but her keen ears picked up some mumbling against her. "What was that, Dear?"

"Thank…."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you…Mom…"

Toriel gasped and then grabbed Asgore with a squeal of delight. "They called me Mom, Asgore!"

"About time, hm, Tori?" he laughed. It had been so perfect…

"Tori…" the deep voice was so faint.

"Tori?" another voice she knew.

"TORI!" they both called in fear and desperation.

She opened her eyes, blinking slowly. She felt two hands on her upper back as she was being supported just slightly off the ground. And two more hands were on her chest where the wound was. Asgore and Sans were looking down at her in a panic. "Tori—Tori look at me!" Asgore practically begged.

"You have to hold on!" Sans exclaimed. He and Asgore both had a hand over her wound, desperately trying to heal it. However, they were fighters; their healing magic was just a little more than nothing, and though blood was starting to stain fur and bone, it wasn't going to stay that way for long.

She looked at them, glassy eyed. "Chara…" she managed. "They're…they're Chara…I can't…how can I even…why have they…?" Her own child that she had helped raise…where had it all gone? And how could she lose her heart in order to help take them down? She…she couldn't…how could she?

"Toriel!" they exclaimed in horror. The bleeding was stopping, but for one reason, and one reason only. Toriel was unwilling to continue the fight, the memories blinding her, her will to shield herself becoming non-existent, and that was all that was needed for the wound to finish her.

Dying…she vaguely noticed as she looked at their expressions of horror, but the will to fight back had been sapped out of her. And it wouldn't have mattered even if she did…she wasn't as strong as Asgore, and her ability to defend even when she most willed it…it wouldn't have been enough to save her. Chara only needed her to falter to finish her off.

However, she remembered a different child, and how could they have fallen so far? She looked to Sans, his eyes wide, the glow obvious in his left one, then she slowly turned to look at Asgore. Was he saying something…? His mouth was moving, but…she couldn't hear it, it was like he was underwater.

He was scared, she could see that, and she might have been able to catch the desperate tone in his voice…the pleading as he called out to her. "Tori! Don't do this to me!" the king exclaimed, drawing her closer. "I just got you back, I can't lose you!" But the wound was worsening.

"Come on, Tori!" Sans exclaimed. "What do you want me to tell the Kid?"

Toriel looked to him sadly. "I…" she managed, her voice soft and faint as she began to lose feeling in her limbs. "Everyone…tell everyone…" she said as her voice choked as she looked back to her former husband. "I love them all…I…" Her voice faltered, as she went silent, trying to form the last of the words. Asgore stared in horror, watching her strength fade away as she lipped her last words. ' _I'm sorry…I still…love you._ '

Her eyes dimmed, closing, before the two cried out as she crumbled to dust in their arms, her beautiful robe collapsing in on itself now that she was no longer there. They stared, blood stained and dust covered fingers quivering. Sans lowered his head. No…she couldn't be…there was no way Toriel could be dead…she had just been fine a few minutes ago! Sans could feel tears. He was a skeleton, they weren't supposed to cry…but he was a monster, things worked a little different as fluorescent blue tears began to seep out.

He wasn't the only one grieving; he could see tears, normal tears, falling onto the cloth as the King began to grieve. He had just gotten her back, after she had hidden herself away for so long. And just when things might turn around, and love could have been found…it was too late, she was gone. The great king shuddered, the pain in his wound worsening.

Sans knelt helplessly, trying to get the information to sink in, when he froze, somehow feeling worse as he realizing that the tears falling on her cloth had stopped…to be replaced with a faint flow of dust. Sans gasped, jerking his skull up, his eyes going wide as his blue tears continued down.

It was then that he noticed that the king had been wounded, and that now, he was no longer crying tears, but rather, dust. "A—Asgore!" Sans exclaimed as he got up, moving around, grabbing his shoulder. "Asgore, get a hold of yourself!" he shouted, trying to shake him, but a massive creature like him wasn't going to budge from Sans's physical strength. The skeleton moved; placing a hand over the wound, desperately trying to heal him, even though the signs of dust told him it was already too late.

"Please!" Sans exclaimed. "We can't lose both of you—just hang in there—I—I can get my brother! He can heal you!" Perhaps he could have…had he been there when the blow was delivered. A monster's defense was based on their emotions, and with him in his grief, it had lowered greatly. The wound that could have normally healed…was now a mortal blow.

The king lowered his head; Sans's pleas sounded far away as he tried to heal the king to no avail. "ASGORE!" To Sans's horror, he was already crumbling into dust, and the skeleton could do nothing as he watched. The royal garments collapsed in, the crown clanking onto the ground. Sans stared, his knees giving out. "No…" he managed, tears falling freely.

Right in front of his eyes…barely even a minute apart…the King and Queen had fallen. His leaders…his friend…Frisk's parental figures… Sans grasped his skull as his blue magic suddenly surged, coming around him, before he let out a loud cry, his magic lashing out, before he stood, angrily stomping the ground, the whole mountain rumbling and giving a shake as Sans looked about, both eyes blazing. "YOU'LL PAY!" Sans all but screamed out into the mountains.

"I'LL FIND YOU! CAPTURE YOU! AND THEN HAVE MY BROTHER HEAL YOU! JUST SO THAT…" His pupils vanished.

 _ **"JUST SO THAT I CAN MAKE YOU PAY IN BLOOD!"**_


	10. Promise me to Smile

Frisk gave a loud yelp as Papyrus touched their knee gently. He yanked his hand back. "Sorry, Human," he managed. "Looks like you landed a bit roughly." He chuckled sheepishly, shaking his skull that had a long scratch running from his eye to his jaw. While whisking the human to safety, a tree branch had grazed him. However, he ignored it as he ran, and finally found a little cave, though it was probably used as a den by small animals on the mountain.

Regardless of what it specifically was, it was providing them shelter, and currently, a hiding place, and that was what mattered most. He had set the human on a rock so that they could dangle their legs, while Flowey had to settle for the floor. Papyrus was kneeling, looking at the bruised knee after he had gingerly rolled their pant leg up. "Well, no cuts," Papyrus said. "Let's see if I can heal this."

He drew a glove off, and then lightly touched their knee, wincing at the child's soft whines as his fingers and eyes glowed orange. "Shh, it'll be okay," Papyrus said, and then smiled as he looked up at them as they sniffled, their eyes brimming with tears. "The Great Papyrus vows to heal any wounds you might have received." Healing humans was a bit difficult for monsters due to differences, but not impossible.

However, he knew trying to lift their spirits would be near impossible, and his smile was forced, though he wouldn't say so. They had lost a friend last night, and with this rude awakening…and now being separated from the others due to the rock slide… However, Papyrus decided to look at the bright side of things. They were sheltered, got away from the murderous human, and escaped with only scratches and bruises.

Frisk shivered at the cooling, slightly numbing sensation of the magic and looked down as Papyrus moved his hand away, the glow of his magic remaining on their knee as the bruise began to fade out. They slowly swung their leg, the pain having been lessened. "My apologies, Frisk," Papyrus said as he put his glove back on. "I would have applied more, but in case you need to run, I want you to still be able to feel your leg enough."

They nodded weakly, and then reached for Flowey. Seeing what they wanted, the skeleton swiftly picked up Flowey, and set them in Frisk's grasp. "There you are," Papyrus murmured. "Any suggestions on the situation?"

Flowey was shuddering harshly, and briefly took his gaze to Papyrus before his expression darkened. "J—just hide…forever…" Frisk looked at them worriedly, biting their lip. For Flowey to be spooked…this was serious business. Flowey had so many abilities when in the soil, but for him to still be terrified of this human, regardless of that…they were dangerous, far more so than any monster Frisk had to deal with.

"I do not think hiding is going to solve anything," Papyrus said as he sat cross-legged on the ground. "Besides, the others might need my help to capture that human."

"At this rate, there's not going to be a point!" Flowey exclaimed in a panic. "If we do somehow stop them, it may not be worth it! There'll be too many dead! They—" His words became muffled as Frisk placed their hands over his mouth as they started to cry.

"Oh, no, no," Papyrus said, as he stood up and came onto the rock, setting them both in his lap. "Frisk…" He drooped slightly and drew his arms around the child. "I'm sorry, Human," he murmured. "I know this is tough on you…on all of us, but I promise, that human can be taken down." He gave a wink. "And I'll be there to the end."

All three jerked their heads up as a pebble clattered down into the cave with Papyrus standing abruptly, holding the child further away from the entrance. Dead silence greeted their ears. Even the forest life had dropped away, hiding from what was outside. The skeleton somehow gulped, and then slowly set the two down. "Stay here," he whispered quietly, summoning a bone before cautiously moving toward the entrance.

Slowly, he emerged, shakily looking about as he clenched his weapon. Then he jerked to attention, staring in sick horror at the sight. The human swayed slightly, clenching their weapon with their good arm, grinning, despite the blood and dust that clung to them. "Well, look who I found."

"Do you really think we need to fight?" Papyrus asked, despite sliding into a defensive stance. "Maybe we can talk this out, and compromise something."

They smirked. "Different words, but you haven't changed."

Papyrus breathed out. "Looks like we'll fight then, but please understand if you change your mind, I'd be willing to relent."

The human laughed softly, and then it began, they zoomed forward, with Papyrus swiftly sending several bones at them. Their eyes snapped open in slight surprise as they jumped over two, before getting smacked by the third, though they only lost one small piece of health as they tumbled across the ground. "You're really fighting back this time…" they murmured as Papyrus used a death grip, clenching his weapon tight. They shakily got up, using their good limb to support them. "Here I thought you'd just spare me till you crumbled to dust. Guess we'll do it the hard way."

Papyrus froze briefly at what they stated. As if they had seen it happen, and had been expecting him to just spare them. It's what he wanted to have done…but it was a bit late for this one, but he couldn't kill them regardless of how he felt. He snapped to attention when he found the human got too close, and went to the side as the knife grazed his cheekbone, a trickle of red coming forth. Skeletons technically couldn't bleed in the sense of other creatures, but in their bones, like anyone else, was marrow, and marrow, produced blood.

"I really believe we could solve this some other way!" Papyrus yelled as he jumped back, out of harm's way, only sending a few stray bones to knock them down, barely dealing damage. "I know you've done a lot of bad—really horrible things—I saw you do some of it! But!" He jumped onto a rock. "I believe even a person like you can turn around if you really tried!"

They looked up at him with a slow grin. "Think you haven't said that before? If I struck you down now, I know you'd keep saying such things, but you're wrong. That's just the way you've always been. Too naïve for this world."

"You have a soul, don't you?" Papyrus demanded as his eyes narrowed. "If you have a soul, then you the potential to be good or bad—so you can still turn around!" he tried to reason, though deep down, something quietly told him he wasn't going to get through.

"Not anymore," the human said. "But I don't need it if I'm going to cast everything and everyone into a fire." They came forward again, but Papyrus sent a somewhat harsher attack at them, evading them, but those words caused something to stir within him.

If he didn't stop them, they'd continue their slaughter. "Well, human, I tried," he said, lowering his gaze. "But if I can't talk you into stepping down…" His right eye suddenly began to glow. "Then I'll force you."

Elsewhere, Sans was rushing about the mountainside, stumbling whenever he drew his sleeve to his face, wiping away tears. His breath was raspy and choked, but hardly from exhaustion. Toriel and Asgore…gone… He looked to his hands, clenching them tight. For all the powers he had, healing was not one of them, and he never hated that more so than in that moment. If he had even half his brother's abilities, maybe he could have saved them. And maybe he could have healed Toriel enough; they wouldn't have lost Asgore at all.

Unfortunately, Sans had to face reality. The two were dead, and while he hadn't heard Chara, he already had a twisting feeling inside him that Undyne had shared the same fate. Four friends, gone with the wind already…what had happened to the happy ending they had all fought for? What was it worth!? He clenched his fists. He thought this was going to be the one. The one where they could have all been happy, but once again, he was a fool to believe things would ever be that way, in a world where 'Kill or be killed' could be uttered by anyone.

It didn't matter if everyone believed that, or just one soul, it would only take one bad soul to cast the rest into the Abyss. Sans gave another shaky breath, wiping his eye sockets again as blue tears tried to seep out. His rage was burning, but his grief was stronger right then. He had to find his brother…

Sans pulled out his cell phone, flipping it open, but just as he was about to call, he stopped, eyes widening as it dawned on him. Papyrus would have fled away from the rock slide, away from the path to the Underground, meaning he'd try to find somewhere to hideaway the human. He doubt Papyrus had time to think about putting his cell phone on vibrate… If he called Papyrus…he could accidentally lure the human to them.

He shoved his cell phone back into his hoodie pocket and then started running again. "Come on," he muttered to himself as he jumped over logs and ducked under low branches, his blue magic sparking dangerously, spreading out from under his feet each time he came into contact with the ground. "If you were Papyrus, where would you go? To hide, yes, but where…" In the trees? No, he'd have to constantly worry about Frisk falling out, especially since he took the flower as well…

As Sans continued to run, he hoped that Papyrus simply kept running, either down to the humans below, or somehow back into the Underground, as there was more than one way to fall in at least. If his brother had to hide, he realized the best—and really—only place to hide with the kid would be in a cave. However, if they were found, they'd be in a dead-end and Papyrus would have to try and fight his way out with those two. The problem with the mountain was that it was getting rockier where Sans was going. Flowey probably couldn't fight even if he wanted to.

Sans started to panic as he thought, his mind playing events from another time. Dust, dust, dust, they'd all turn to dust. From Toriel in the Ancient Ruins, to King Asgore in the throne room. All of their dust would fall to the ground as the human kept walking. Sans shuddered, as more memories came to him. The Royal Guards would have all have fallen; Undyne would have died fighting viciously in Waterfall as Determination seeped through her. The only one that might have made it…would have been Alphys, who, in cruel irony, was the first to be taken.

Sans shuddered, knowing that in the golden corridor, he'd have given a valiant last stand, taking them down over and over, until they finally could survive his Hell. Eventually, they'd take him, and as he stepped away into delusion, he'd crumble away. He gasped at the memory that came of his brother. His brother who refused to fight, and was taken down, believing the human could change, even as he crumbled away.

"PAPYRUS!" Sans shouted, calling desperately for his brother as fear raced through him.

If his cry even made it to his brother, Papyrus couldn't have heard it, the fight having turned wild as each one the fighters dialed things up. Bones jutted in and out of the ground and the trees as the human danced wildly, swinging their blade when they could, causing Papyrus to constantly jump and dodge. Several times, he tried to encase them in a cage of bones, but they would manage to escape just before it would become fully sealed.

Blue and white bones alike jutted out, and Papyrus stood fully as he finally managed to hit the human again. No longer were his attacks taking just one health. He was stepping it up, trying to get them to where they would most likely yield. He always had a knack for knowing when others were reaching their limits, so he knew when his attacks would go too far, but for now, he needed to keep at it due to their large amount of health.

The two jumped about, diving and weaving from each other's attacks as the human swung madly and wildly at the skeleton, but so far, the only close one they got cut into the shoulder of his outfit, and slightly into the end of his scarf, but thankfully, no more harm was brought to the skeleton.

Papyrus focused hard, and then smiled as he thought about it. "You're saying you never fought me?" he questioned as he sent a series of blue attacks at the human. The human dead-panned, going perfectly still. He couldn't help a bit of a smirk. "Good. That means you don't know." They gasped as they were slammed into the ground. "You don't know about my blue attack. Nyeh-heh-heh!"

They struggled to get up, finding it difficult to stand as gravity itself forced them down, but they were filled with a great deal of determination, so while it was difficult, they shakily got to their feet. "Up already, human? Let's see how high you can jump!" Without hesitation, he sent several bones from the ground at the human, with all three hitting them as they weren't ready for such a thing to happen.

"Not very high at all!" Papyrus exclaimed. "Maybe you should yield, Human! Quit while you're ahead!" He was hoping that he could talk to them, but they didn't seem interested at all as he passed up his turn in an attempt to communicate to them, but they simply stood back up, readying their blade, before they seem to pause, and then smirked. In the midst of their fight, and their moving around in desperate attempts to dodge one another's attacks, the entrance to the cave was wide open for Chara to dart through. They made a break for it.

However, Papyrus realized his error, and made a mad dash to get there before them, summoning his newest attack in fear and panic, knowing that if the human got in there, then the two inside were as good as dead! "NO!" he shouted coming between them and the entrance as he fully summoned the pin wheel attack. They gasped as they saw it, already plunging forward. Papyrus cried out in agonizing pain as the blade drove home, but that didn't stop him from releasing his attack just before he lost feeling in his limbs.

The two cried out as the force sent them flying. Chara was sent back out of the cavern entrance, and went tumbling a ways down the slopes, a bright light from the explosion caught San's attention as he rested against a tree. His eyes widened, and in a panic, he rushed for it. "PAPYRUS!"

Frisk and Flowey tensed as they heard something clatter back into the cave right after the explosion. The child kept their eyes covered, while Flowey slowly lowered his leaves, looking down, before basically withering at the sight with a choked breath. However, that drew the child's attention, and they lowered their hands, regretting the idea, and instantly let out a heart broken cry.

"Wait—human—don't cry!" Papyrus exclaimed. "I'm okay—still got my head!"

"That's all you've got!" Flowey all but shrieked as Frisk slipped down roughly, grabbing Papyrus's skull, hugging him close as they cried, not knowing how to put him back together, not even knowing there was no way to do so in the first place, as the rest of his body had crumbled into dust from the human's strike before he could repel them in last resort, hopefully damaging, but not killing them, or else all the injuries would be fully healed, and all their sacrifices would be for naught.

"It could be worse," Papyrus reasoned as the human rushed over, grabbing his scarf that had fallen near the entrance and rushed back, before setting Papyrus in it, using it like a nest. The skeleton shut his eyes briefly, focusing hard. Flowey knew why. He was still crumbling, but he was stronger than many monsters in this aspect as he resisted crumbling completely. He wouldn't last much longer…there was no way to fix this.

Papyrus was dying, and soon would be dead. Frisk didn't quite pick up on that yet as they laid a hand on his skull, crying, unable to do anything against the being who was taking everything away…the poor thing didn't even know yet that they had lost even more of their friends and family.

The skeleton thought rapidly, trying to think of a way to calm them down…cheer them up. He didn't want to die without seeing them make that adorable smile one more time, but could he muster it? By now, he was certain that Sans could have thought up several horrible jokes for this situation if it weren't so dire. Some puns about 'losing his head', but this was serious…even Sans wouldn't be showing any humor.

Well, the Great Papyrus wasn't about to go without trying. "Human," he said, getting their attention, before pulling a smile, even though he grit his teeth against the fact that he was crumbling. He'd succumb, but not yet. No, he was the Great Papyrus, and he was going to hang on a little longer. "Human, I know you're not a fighter. I'm all behind you on that," he said, giving them a wink. "But you're not helpless in this, don't forget that! You travelled all the Underground with everyone after your soul! You even foiled the Great Papyrus, fought Undyne, the Royal Guard, and you went up against a King and Queen…I bet you went up against greater things that I can't quite remember, but you had to, right?"

They sniffled, and shakily nodded, some tears falling onto his head as he managed a smile. "Sans said you have Determination, in that case, it's time to use it!" he encouraged, feeling himself start to crumble, but he held firm. "Then you can get through this, I, the Great Papyrus believe in you!" It was only slight, but he saw the faintest hint of a smile. "There we go, promise me to smile when this is all over, all right?"

Their eyes widened, the tears falling once more as they whimpered, picking up his head and hugging it. "Pa…Papy…rus…" they sobbed.

"Promise?"

They hiccupped, and nodded. Papyrus smiled. "Good." He gave a weak laugh. "Keep an eye on Sans for me, will you? I admit, I love my brother, despite all those puns…can you tell him that for me?" They nodded. "Then I promise to keep believing in you, no matter what," he managed, before he couldn't hold on anymore, and right in Frisk's hands, he crumbled to dust, the particles falling through their fingers, onto the scarf he always wore.

Frisk's fingers shook as they stared, their face shadowed as their shoulders shook and they shuddered, before tossing their head back in a loud wail as Flowey stared in stunned horror. The Great Papyrus had fallen to the human's blade.

"Papyrus? Papyrus!" They jerked up, staring, feeling dread as they saw Sans slide down. "Papyrus, I saw it are you—" He jerked to a halt as he saw Frisk kneeling in front of his brother's scarf as a heavy coating of dust covered it. Frisk watched, whimpering as a look of hopelessness and utter loss came upon the other skeleton's face. "Pa…Papy…Papyrus…" he managed breathlessly. "No…" His voice began to choke up. "Papyrus…"


	11. One Last Trick

Sans stared in utter disbelief, unable to comprehend what was in front of him. His brother's dust… It felt like something had ripped out his figurative heart, and crushed it into a million pieces. The world he had known was falling apart faster than he could even follow. Just the other day, they had all spent a wonderful afternoon in waterfall…just last night; the majority of them had slumbered together. Now it was just him…the kid…and Flowey. It was his new reality, but it was one he rejected with every bit of his being.

Frisk sobbed, running over, crashing into Sans with a firm hug, crying into his shirt. Numbly, he drew his arms around them, slowly hugging them tight as they cried pitifully, the sounds pulling on heart strings. Frisk had always been a happy child, even when running away from monsters, but now, that child was gone, replaced by this heartbroken soul as they cried, apologizing over and over as he slowly knelt down; allowing them to cry into his shoulder instead as tears slid down his face.

"Kid…" he managed. He wanted to say it would be all right…but how could it? They didn't even know about the others yet, but he'd have to tell them soon enough. Sans felt sick as he realized that he was the only one left. Even if they took down Chara…how was he to ever even hope to fill the void the others had left behind? And how was he to continue without his little brother?

Frisk whimpered softly, and Sans had to turn his head, to listen to them, as they managed to choke out what Papyrus said. Sans quivered, his hands clenching tight around their shoulders as a choked breath escaped him. "Papyrus…you idiot…I knew that…" He breathed out shakily, and then drew the kid back, holding their shoulders as he looked them in the eye. He glanced away, and then looked back. "Kid…Tori loves ya' all right?" They froze. "…kid, I'm so sorry, she…Asgore…Undyne…I'm so sorry, kid."

As tears started to flow again, Sans gently cupped their face, using his thumbs to gently wipe the tears away, before suddenly drawing them close again as they wailed their heartbreak. "I know, Kid," Sans managed, sounding just as broken as they did. "I know…" They were suffering the same thing together; he knew how bad it was as he hugged them close.

Flowey's eyes widened as he heard the news. Undyne…Asgore and Toriel… A shudder ran through him. Once more, all three had fallen. The true heroine…and his parents…taken down by Chara's determination once again.

Sans looked up in tears, before raising a hand and shutting his eyes. He didn't want to see, when he could just feel the essence of what he needed to interact with. At the cave entrance, dust rose, and flew over, as did the other pile of it on Papyrus's scarf. The scarf levitated as well, spreading out before Sans allowed the dust to coat it. It was what his brother would have wanted his dust to be put on.

Once he knew the dust wouldn't be easily knocked off, he drew it over, looking up as he let it fall onto his arm, gently nudging the kid back. "I've got a special job for you," he managed as his voice quivered. They stared up at him before he took the scarf, tossing it over their head, looping it once, but due to Papyrus being so tall, the tails of the scarf still wanted to touch the ground.

Sans took the tails, and gently wrapped them down Frisk's arms until he finally shortened the length, tying each respective tail into a small knot at the end around their wrists. They paused, and slowly moved their arms, testing the movement, before looking at him again in confusion. "Take care of that, all right, Kid?" he managed. "You know, they say a monster's essence lives on in what you place their dust on…" He gently stroked their head. "So Papyrus will always be around you…" If this could have been put with good humor, he would have joked literally…but there was nothing funny about this.

"My, aren't we sentimental?" Everyone froze, a chill washing through them, before all three turned to see Chara. Somehow, they were still hanging on, but they looked like a wreck. Their attire was torn, sticks and leaves clung to their hair, and blood dripped down their face. Sans clenched his fists, slowly turning fully to them as his left eye began to glow viciously.

"Oh? Struck a nerve, have I?" they purred, wobbling as they clenched their blade, refusing to stand down, for they literally had nothing to lose.

Sans growled darkly, the glow coming to his right eye as his temper flared, standing fully between the vicious human, and the last two he had. "I ought to kill you where you stand," he snarled at them. "Unfortunately, that won't do any good now will it!? But if I can't kill you…" His pupils vanished.

 _ **"Then I promise... I will give you a bad time..."**_

They smirked, and steadied themselves. "Come at me again, then."

 _ **"Oh...?"**_ he questioned darkly, before suddenly slamming them into the ceiling, taking a firm step forward, magic seeping into the ground as he stomped down, letting them fall.

 _ **"Do you think I don't remember you?"**_ Sans snarled.

 _ **"Sadly, I do... You're not human. Just a disgusting beast that wears a poor human's skin."**_

Chara's eyes widened in surprise as they slowly got up. "Oh? You really came back from the dead, didn't you? I wonder how much you actually know."

 _ **"I know enough,"**_ Sans assured as he sent them ramming into the wall.

 _ **"I clearly know what you did to everyone, you dirty brother killer!"**_ With a rage he faintly remembered, Sans went all out, his pupils returning briefly. "Kid!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Get to the back of the cave!" he barked. "I don't want you in the cross fire!"

Frisk yelped, grabbed Flowey and darted into the back. They didn't know how dangerous Sans was, but just from that small display he had made, they knew he was dead serious. They scurried into the back of the cave, hiding behind some rocks, the two peeking over, watching. In the rocky ground of the cave, Flowey was useless, and Frisk didn't know how they could even contribute to the fight.

Chara dove forward, aiming to plunge their knife into Sans, but he dodged, his pupils fading away as he smirked a little.

 _ **"Sorry, but you should know I'm not about to just stand there and take it."**_ With that, he summoned a Gaster Blaster, aiming to maim. If he could bust up their other arm, then he could probably deal with them without having to risk any more lives!

The human jumped, going back, landing behind a rock as it blasted forth, narrowly missing them, and only losing one small piece of health because a piece of rock went flying and hitting them due to the force of Sans's attack. When the Gaster Blaster died down, they smirked. "You're not too different here, Sans. I think I can manage."

Sans smirked.

 _ **"Oh...guess I need to change up my pace."**_ He suddenly yanked them to the ceiling, pinning them there as another Gaster Blaster fired at them. It hurt, all the heartache drove through him. If he could just rewind time… Papyrus… All of his memories…there were none 'prior' to Papyrus. He had always been…there.

He was so small at the time, barely five years old. He couldn't remember where he was…the details were blurred from the years. It was a bright room though, and he could hear crying. He had nervously come forth toward the sound, blinking against the brightness. "Shh," a male voice had soothed. Sans remembered a tall figure, but the details…he was a blur against the whiteness, holding something close. "Shh, little one. You're all right. Oh, I know. It's so bright and loud, how dare we," he murmured with mirth. "It's all right, Papyrus. I've got you."

"D…Daddy?" Sans asked, blinking a few times. "Is it supposed to be so loud?"

He chuckled, kneeling, but even then, he was still rather tall compared to Sans. "Trust me, my boy; you were just as fussy on your first day. Now come here," he said, motioning with his head. "Come say hello to your little brother, Papyrus."

Sans inched over nervously, much to the other's amusement as Papyrus continued to complain about his new surroundings. He didn't quite remember what his old one was, but he wanted it back! Sans looked down to see the small skeleton wrapped in a red-orange cloth, squirming around. "He looks weird…"

There was a soft huff of amusement as he managed to soothe the child for the time being. "I suppose he took a different look from you, but he's young, little ones do look strange at first, but that's because they're new. You won't think he's weird at all after a while." Sans looked up, but the details to the adult's face were so obscure, as if someone had taken an eraser, and smudged him out.

"Now, Sans," he murmured. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Uh—I…maybe?"

The adult chuckled and rose, waving his hand, teal…or perhaps a sky blue magic surrounding it as a large chair floated in. "Up you go then," he said as Sans hopped into the chair, seeming so small in it, but it was simply a safety precaution. "Now, see how I'm holding him? Hold your arms the same."

Sans did as he was told, and a moment later, he was holding the squirming little child who abruptly began to wail. "Daddy—he started yellin' again! He hates me!"

"It's all right," the monster chuckled. "He's just not sure who you are yet, give him a few moments," he assured, petting their heads.

The child nervously continued to hold the wailing baby, before leaning slightly, placing his skull against Papyrus's. The crying died down to some whimpering and sniffling as the little one tried to figure out what was going on. The adult chuckled. "Well, look at that, Sans. He stopped. I think you two will get along fine."

"Really?" Sans asked as a hand patted his head.

"Really. And I know you'll be a wonderful older brother. Always keep an eye-socket out for him all right?"

Sans nodded. "Uh-huh. I will," he promised.

"That's my boy…" The monster rose fully to his feet. "I'll be right back with some milk, just stay as you are. If he starts fussing, it's only because he's hungry and tired, so please be patient with him. He's a little brother, so he's bound to get under your bones at times, but…"

Sans slammed the child back to the ground. ' _You'll find that you will still love him, trust me on this one,_ ' he recalled. The skeleton raised his head, his eyes glowing harshly as his pupils slowly faded back in. His little brother… Sans rammed them against the wall. Gone! And how was he supposed to get him back!? With all his power, and his will, he could easily take away Chara's life, but no matter how strong he was…he couldn't get his brother back.

He despised Chara, and if he could, he'd kill them where they stood if they couldn't come back again. His hatred for Chara would make it easy to kill them. But for all the love he had for Papyrus…no matter how much Sans loved him…none of that could bring him back. Hatred could take someone to their deathbed, but love couldn't take them back from it.

The grief flooded through the skeleton as he rammed them back again, panting softly as he whittled down their health, but no matter how many times he struck them down, they'd slowly get back up, and shuffle their way back. Ten health. Wouldn't they just quit? He aimed again, trying to get his bones to take out their other arm. If he made them lose their other arm one way or another, they wouldn't be able to hurt anyone!

However, Sans was running out of steam as the human dashed for him. He shoved them back again, dropping to a knee. If only there was a shortcut near the entrance, he could risk shoving them through. However, instead, there was a shortcut in the back of the cave. If he messed it up, and got killed, Frisk would have less time to be able to react to Chara. He couldn't risk that. He had to take them down here!

They came rushing at him, taking advantage of him being down. Sans's eyes blazed as he raised his left hand, summoning a Gaster Blaster, letting it shoot, its roar echoing, and Chara vanished within the beam. He panted tiredly, before yanking his skull up in alarm as Chara leapt out of its fire, damaged, but still going at it. Sans tried to move, falling back in his scrambling, trying to summon his drained magic as Chara came crashing down.

Sans screamed as it cut into him. He felt a horrid jolt, seeing red flash about in front of him, and Sans wasn't sure, but somehow, in his nearly empty well of magic, he suddenly found more as he gave a furious shout, levitating them up, slamming them against the wall, knocking them down. He groaned, moaning as he rolled over, getting on a hand and knee, his free hand going over his wound that bled deep red. He remembered this.

Sans got to his feet, keeping a hand out as he started depleting the last of his magic as he shuffled backwards. "Frisk…" he rasped as he drew near the back of the cave. "Come 'ere, Kid…let's…" He panted heavily, managing a tight smile. "go…We're going to Grillby's…" He felt them grab onto his hoodie as his magic faltered, no longer able to hold Chara down, but he had enough for a final shortcut. _Papyrus…_ he mumbled in his thoughts as they became hazy. _Do you want anything…?_

One more, to keep Frisk alive. They suddenly stumbled into Grillby's with Frisk yelping as they had to support him. Customers and Grillby jerked their heads up in alarm. "SANS!" the lot of them called out. Dogamy rushed over, as Sans managed a tight smile. Several other patrons rushed over, with Grillby leaping over the counter, as all of them helped him to his usual seat.

"Let me see!" Dogaressa exclaimed as she rushed over, while Dogamy stopped her.

"Let me handle this one, Dear," he told her, as Grillby set Frisk on the seat next to Sans while he and Dogamy drew Sans hoodie back to look at his wound. From his collar bone, now to nearly the last of his ribs, was a long bleeding gash. Dogamy instantly put a hand over Sans's wound, his hand glowing bright blue, before he paused, stiffening. "Sans…"

Grillby's eyes widened behind his glasses as Sans pulled a smile, looking up tiredly. "Heh, whoops. Got a little too close…" he said, trying to ignore Dogamy's expression, due to the blood that was on his hand…along with some specks of dust.

Grillby noticed, and then fully rose, looking around. "… … …everyone," he started. "Those not of the Royal Guard… … …I must ask you to leave."

There were no objections, the other monsters filed out, leaving only Sans, Frisk, Flowey, Grillby, and the dogs. Grillby knelt, his eyes dimming as he raised a hand, but Sans waved him off. "No use wasting magic…"

"…Sans…" they murmured as the child whimpered.

"I don't have time, so I need to get this all out now…" Sans murmured, cringing as he put his right hand over the wound. "That human I warned you of…the one who killed Alphys…they struck again. Some guards from Hotland were killed…Undyne…the King and Queen…Papyrus," he managed, his voice trembling over his brother's name as soft gasps and stunned looks filled the room. "And…they're going to find their way back here sure enough…"

Flowey quivered. "Then what are we supposed to do!?" he demanded. "They're just going to kill us here instead!"

Sans smirked. "I…got one last trick up my sleeve." He beckoned with a finger, and the child, Flowey, Grillby, and Dogamy leaned close, the dog raising an ear. "You see," Sans murmured. "If we… … …that good now?"

Flowey's eyes widened, and he looked away uncertainly. "Do you really think that can work?"

"Only chance we got," Sans slurred. "It won't kill them, but…it'll nullify them, that will give you two a chance, won't it?"

Flowey nodded. "I…I think so…"

"Then I think that's it…Grillby, can I trust you to take care of these two?"

"…of course," Grillby reluctantly murmured. Not because he didn't want to take responsibility, but because he rather Sans didn't have to ask that in the first place.

Frisk sobbed, and suddenly came against Sans, crying into the side of his hoodie. Sans brought his left, thankfully clean hand around them. "Shhh…kid…you're okay…" he mumbled tiredly, his pupils dimming, but he remained seemingly unphased. "You'll be fine in the end, even if you don't think so right now…" They whimpered, and Sans had to lean close to get it, but when he did, he froze, eyes widening, before his expression changed to a great sorrow, tears welling up. "Oh…kid…" he managed. "…I'm sorry…" he whispered as they cried harder and harder.

It took Sans a minute to gather himself, blinking his tears away. "Kid…Frisk, look at me a moment…" They looked up, tears streaming down their face. Sans managed a soft smile, as if nothing were wrong. "We're not giving up on you…" He gently poked their chest. "So don't you go giving up there…after all…" He winked, giving them a shaky thumbs up. "No matter what, I'm rootin' for ya, Kiddo."

They shakily nodded, and then Sans slowly pushed their head against his hoodie, so that they couldn't see. His pupils faded away, and then, Sans crumbled to dust. The form that Frisk was hugging vanished, and the only reason that they didn't fall, was because Grillby caught them as they let loose a heartbroken cry, hugging the hoodie against them with all they had, as everything else fell to the floor.

The others were dead silent for several long moments, before Dogamy slowly raised his head with a mournful howl, and one by one, Dogaressa, Lesser Dog, Greater Dog, Doggo, and even the Amalgamate joined in, their mournful song going all over Snowdin as their good friend vanished away, along with so many others.

Flowey looked at the crying child, and then hesitantly reached a leaf over, patting their shoulder. "Frisk…maybe we should do it…" he murmured to them. "…maybe we should reset when we get the chance."

Frisk nodded, hugging Sans's hoodie tight, raising their head slightly as tears continued. Yes, they'd do as Sans instructed. It was all they had left of the happiness they had found. Determination surged through them. Not enough to override Chara, but they harvested it so that they could stand against that dangerous force, for they swore to take them down. Take them down twice.

No matter what…they would fight to get it all back. Because Frisk didn't feel that they could live on like this, without any of them in their lives anymore. For the short time that they had with them, it was ironic of how much of a void was there, now that they were gone. Frisk clenched Sans's jacket tight. They'd refill the void. Quietly, they put Sans's hoodie on, ignoring the fact that it dangled so much, and went dead silent. They were gone and yet…Frisk had one hand on the hoodie, and another on the scarf…they could feel their essence resonating around them.

Yes…they would smile again…they won't give up. They made those promises, and through determination, they were going to keep them, so long as this plan worked. And if not…well, Frisk will simply be meeting them again soon.


	12. We did It

Frisk gasped as something grabbed them, and drew them close. They looked up, seeing that Grillby had picked them up, holding them against his chest. There was something about a hug that forced withheld emotions to come tumbling out, so Frisk's attempt to not cry lasted for all of thirty seconds as they cried into Grillby's chest. He gently patted their head. One would think, that being made of fire, he'd be dangerous, but fire monsters like Grillby could choose what was set on fire, and how their flames felt.

As the child cuddled into the soothingly warm monster, Dogamy moved over to his companions, taking his wife close, letting her cry into his shoulder, as she was more emotional as of late. Then he looked to the others. "Doggo, go through Snowdin; tell everyone to lock their doors. Lesser Dog, to the forest to evacuate, and Greater Dog—take Dogaressa somewhere safe."

"Dogamy—" his wife protested, before he gently placed a finger over her muzzle.

"We'll have this conversation later," he assured her. "I'll have Greater Dog carry you if I must." She looked torn between crying and yelling, but Greater Dog came over, licking her cheek. Between dog monsters, the action wasn't considered odd among family members. Then, the others spread out, each taking their assigned task, working swiftly so that everyone would be safe by the time the human managed to get here.

Dogamy watched them go, clutching his battle axe, before turning to the Amalgamate, who whined, as it lowered its head to the table, looking up at Dogamy for once. He sighed. "And I do have something to ask of you, as out of all of us, you can't get hurt. Can you understand?" It was taking time to adjust, and Dogamy knew that sometimes, he had to repeat or rephrase for the souls to understand what was needed.

They whimpered, and then turned their head, signaling they were listening. Dogamy's expression softened and he leaned close. "You see, what Sans needs for this to work… …do you think you can manage that?" They gave a swift nod. "Then move into place, we don't know how much time we have before they make their way here."

The Amalgamate made a soft echoing bark, and then scrambled swiftly and somewhat creepily to the door, somehow squeezing their way out, before bounding through the snow, off to where they needed to be, in the desperate hopes that Sans's plan would work. Dogamy glanced back over to Grillby, watching him pet the child's back, before he slowly came over. "Do you think you can manage this?"

Grillby nodded. "I believe so…besides, from what I gather, I seem to have an advantage."

Dogamy gave a soft sound of understanding. Sans didn't make it crystal clear with the details, as he had been short on time, but he said if anyone had to fight the human, it had to be Grillby, or the Amalgamate, and that the others shouldn't go near them unless absolutely needed. He heard tapping, and paused when he saw Grillby using his cell phone. "Wh…what are you doing?" he asked in confusion.

Grillby drew the phone up to his ear, tapping a leg to gently bounce the child. "Calling someone I know."

"Is now the time?"

Grillby nodded. "They may be able to buy us some time and delay the human's arrival—or at least know someone who can." Dogamy was about to protest, but whoever it was picked up. Grillby waited a moment, and then spoke. "…I have an important, dire request to ask of you…"

Within Hotlands, Chara stared silently at the elevator doors, spinning their blade in their good hand, until the doors opened. They could see Alphys's lab, and a glowing star. Good, just had to go down to the river where that fool would give them a ride straight to Snowdin. They stepped out, turning, only to be caught by surprise.

Standing on the pathway, a pairs of arms on her hips, was a spider monster, her other set of arms pouring some Spider Cider, while her last set held a platter gently as she poured the liquid. She took a sip, looking at them, and then lowered the cup onto the platter. Muffet. "You're the other human," she surmised. The human tilted their head, raising a brow. "News has been spreading fast, I'd assume," she said. "I know you've done some terrible things to our kingdom. So, I'd like to return the hospitality."

It happened swiftly. Muffet suddenly tossed her teapot, teacup, and little platter as she jumped up. All of it landed on strings of web. "Sadly, I didn't have time to trap you in webs," Muffet replied, before sending out purple magic. Chara tried to dodge away, but it was either they got cornered in the elevator, jump off the ledge into lava, or take the blow. With a grunt, their soul was turned purple. "Thankfully, I can still limit you a little," Muffet replied as spiders started to crawl on the strings.

Chara huffed, and smirked. "Let's see how long you last this time…" Muffet raised a hand, and then it began, as she sent several spiders running along strands of web that seemed to form just before the attack, forcing Chara to clamber around on them, frantically trying to dodge. Muffet was a little different this time, sitting high above the fight, unlike the last time they encountered her, thus changing up the battle a little.

When the human got the chance to attack, they realized there was no way to directly attack Muffet, as she could easily stop them from reaching her. Chara reached into their pocket, picking up some jagged rocks they had collected while on the mountain, knowing that they were useful after Undyne's fight. At least they had more than one use. They threw the rock, letting it sail into a thread, breaking it, but Muffet didn't seem phased as she attacked again, even throwing some pastries into the mix.

Chara narrowly dodged attacks, having severe close calls that even they weren't certain of how they actually managed to dodge, but as the fight dragged on, attacks began to quicken and become more severe, with Chara barely having the time to fling rocks that would miss Muffet clearly. However, they would cut strings that supported her web. Until finally, even Muffet was frantically moving, trying to restore threads and attack at the same time, but Chara had turned the tables, taking the advantage.

Three strings…the web was trembling. Two strings…the web was quivering… One string…the web was shaking. Muffet frantically tried to summon another string, but she gasped in horror as the last one was snapped by another rock. Muffet screamed as she fell, missing the ledge, but perhaps that was good; at least Chara couldn't end her with their blade. The human moved swiftly, looking over the ledge to see lava shoot out from something falling into it.

They stared, and smirked. Well, at least it had been interesting. They laughed softly, and headed on down the path toward the river. However, unable to be seen by those on the path, there was a small little indent in the side of the ledges. And hidden in one of them, had been Cupcake, who had caught Muffet as she fell, and tucked her into hiding before she dumped the rest of their pastries into the lava. She panted softly, and picked up her cell phone, letting it ring. "Well, was fifteen minutes good?" She smiled. "That's a relief…they got pass, they're heading for the river now…take care."

Grillby stared at the river as he lowered his cell phone. He had the human child up on his shoulders while they held Flowey, snuggled up in the scarf and blue cloth. Sans's dust had been collected from where he had died, but until this was over, it would have to wait on being placed on his hoodie. Grillby wore a long black jacket, shoving his hands into the pockets as they waited, the wind softly blowing as Grillby stared across the river.

Snowflakes fell slowly, some of them landing on Grillby's head, instantly melting and vaporizing, much too small to harm him. He adjusted his glasses. "… …will you two be ready?"

Flowey nodded shakily. "Sh—should be fine…j—just don't trip or something."

"…I have no intentions of that…" Grillby replied.

The flower nodded slowly, even though Grillby couldn't actually see it, before movement caught their attention, and they looked up to see the hooded river person arriving, and behind them, in the boat, was Chara. Grillby stumbled back, while Flowey and Frisk cried out. "Forget the boat!" Flowey exclaimed. "We'll take the long way!" Grillby whirled and ran back toward the locked up town, as Chara jumped out of the boat.

They tumbled away as the river person took a swipe at them with a …scythe? They smirked, and rushed off. They had never seen that monster leave the boat, which made them wonder if they ever came onto land. Yet, as they ran for town, something large and white suddenly slid out of hiding from behind a house. The canine Amalgamate: Endogeny. It crouched low, growling, the other canines that made up its form were glaring at the human, seeming to bare their fangs.

Chara stared in stunned surprise, this being the first time they had ever encountered such a creature—at least, not this far into the effects of determination. They stumbled back, readying their blade. It didn't matter, if news had spread, Sans would have made it clear that they were not to be killed. As usual, they could go all out!

They attacked, but Endogeny's head somehow split in two, letting then sail through, before they whipped around, melting back together. Chara snarled, and attacked again, their blade digging into a limb, however, the wound simply fixed itself as they raised the limb, their body distorting heavily for a moment as they reacted to the damage, but it didn't take them down. Chara's eyes widened. This was problematic.

Endogeny suddenly lunged at them, tackling them near the trees, a strange residue starting to drip from its orifice. Chara grabbed at their limb with their good arm, struggling to somehow push them off, their knife having fallen out of reach. They looked about, before their eyes lit up, and they reached, grabbing for a stick, intending to use it as a weapon. They raised it up, and then Endogeny froze.

Chara stared in confusion as the Amalgamate got off them, and then dropped into a play position, making soft whines of excitement. Chara paused, and then it seemed to click as they smirked, rolling over and getting up, taking their knife, and putting it in their pocket, before keeping the stick over their head as they walked backwards toward town, the monster following, making small jumps and little yips, seemingly excited.

The human walked back into town, and revved back, preparing to throw their stick to the West, but then they paused. Wait…something wasn't right about that. When Flowey saw them, he had shouted so loudly on what to do, but…if the boat became inaccessible, wouldn't taking the long way instantly be the next plan? Chara knew Frisk would be too sweet to hide here, and put others in danger, and as terrified as Flowey was, it wasn't like him to blurt out a plan either.

Chara's eyes lit up. That's it…they hadn't gone East to Waterfall…they had gone West, in hopes of losing them. They smirked, and then turned to the East, throwing the stick. As Endogeny raced after it, they turned and hurried as fast as they could. Endogeny chased after the stick, pounced on it, and then went silent and still, before crushing the measly stick beneath them. Then they turned, silently watching the human go, a soft rumbling growl emerging from them.

Dogamy raised his head in his hiding place, hearing the human on the bridge to Snowdin…looks like it was his turn. With that, the dog moved swiftly, knowing what had to be done as he started resetting puzzles to delay the human. He slowed them down greatly, but eventually, they slowly managed their way to the Ruins, with him hiding away in the trees, gripping his battle axe tight. He watched them calmly go in, and hoped that everyone had bought enough time.

Flowey trembled as he sat in the soil by the yellow flowers Frisk had fallen on. Behind him, Grillby stood, hands still in his coat pockets, despite that it was warmer here…and that being cold shouldn't really be an issue for him. However, behind him, peeking around his legs was Frisk, the hoodie almost like a king's robe on them as it draped on the ground slightly. Flowey had been murmuring softly under his breath.

However, all three jerked their heads up as someone emerged from the archway. Chara. Flowey gasped as Chara started to move forward, and managed to raise his voice as he trembled. "Chara…" he started. "Chara? Come on, I know you can hear me! Chara!" They had reached the end of the hall, just outside of the sun's light. Grillby brought his hands out, letting the flames grow around his closed fists, preparing to engage them in a fight if need be.

"Chara…?" They took a step forward. "Chara?" They smirked, coming forward again. "Chara." Another step. "Chara!" Flowey exclaimed, before yelping as they grabbed him, yanking him up. "CHARA!" he practically pleaded as tension rose.

The human smirked. "Did you really think calling my name would change anything, little prince?" they asked as Flowey lowered his head, hiding his face as he quivered. They smirked, starting to raise their blade to strike him down as hearts began to pound.

"Heh…" Chara paused, raising a brow as Flowey looked up, still shaking; a look of terror written on his face, but it didn't seem directed at them. Then, he gave a weak smile. "Whoever said I was calling for _you_?" he managed shakily as an odd chill filled the room, most prominent right behind Chara.

Frisk and Grillby's eyes widened in stunned horror, as Chara slowly turned, only to gasp in alarm, stumbling back. Behind them, another human stood. They were different though, made purely of a vivid red aura, a ghost that had been called forth. They clenched their fists, and then silently lunged at Chara, as if to tackle them. However, on impact, they simply phased into the human, causing them to stumble back, before a struggle for dominance began.

Flowey yelped, frantically digging his roots back into the ground as the three watched the human roll around, screeching. "Get out!"

"Not until I have my say!" they spat.

"This is mine!"

"It was never yours to being with!"

The three stared as the two fought over the body, the knife abandoned on the ground, but Grillby leapt forth, grabbing it, jumping as the child tried to swipe at him. "Give that back!" they snarled as the fire monster went back to the child who was tensing as they watched the fight unfold.

The human got back up, stumbling around as control was viciously fought over. "Get out, let me finish this!"

"You let me have my moment! I want a word with that so called friend!"

"You and I are the same, you should be helping me!"

"Shut…up!" they screeched, grabbing onto the wall for support, turning just slightly, their terrifying red eyes glaring toward Flowey, before pointing accusingly at him. "How dare you, Asriel!"

"Wh—what?" Flowey stammered nervously. Maybe this wasn't going to work, but it was all they had.

"I trusted you!" the human shouted, glaring daggers to make up for their lack of a physical one. "I gave up my soul so that you could get six more and save the monsters!" They gave an angry shout, stepping forward; legs trembling as they tried to keep the battered body standing. "And then you stabbed me in the back! You took full control and shoved me down, you traitor!"

"You were going to kill the humans—my former self didn't want to go through with that!"

"That was the plan you idiot! Monsters are just like humans! You all prepare and ready yourselves to harm others, and I should have seen it coming!"

"Well excuse my former self for having second thoughts about taking _lives_!" Flowey shouted, his face morphing slightly as he spoke, looking more like the prince they had known.

The human stared, stunned silence filling the room for a few brief moments as the two looked at each other, both broken, lost, and have fallen so far from they used to be. A human and monster, good friends…and now they stood a flower, a ghost, and demonic thing that was fighting over a poor human's body that got caught up in the whole mess. The human suddenly jerked as the darker side tried to claw at the true Chara of this world, wanting control back. They screeched, staggering about. "Asriel!" Chara managed through gritted teeth. "Are you telling the truth!?" they demanded.

Flowey quivered as he watched them fight, and then raised himself a little taller. "Yes!"

"Then don't make me regret this," they said, their arm jerking as they clutched their head.

"Don't you dare!"

"I will override you! The determination I have will be stronger!" They staggered, and looked to Flowey. "Absorb our souls!" they barked.

Flowey shivered, thinking back to what Sans had instructed. "How long can you hold them down?" he asked as a vine rose from the ground and wrapped around the human with ease. Chara looked down, squirming as the two still fought over the body; the third broken down too much to even try to fight.

"Should be long enough for you to fix things," they managed.

They just needed to do it long enough for a reset. A few minutes. "…don't watch then," Flowey replied. Grillby scooped up Frisk, and turned away, forcing their face against his chest as Flowey drew the human close, slowly squeezing, applying the pressure, until they passed out. Then, he swiftly finished the job, letting his abilities hide the body beneath the soil. Two red souls showed in front of him, one full, the other cracked, as well as a deep, dark red essence that vaguely held the shape of a soul. The true Chara had over ridden the other's determination, but was refusing to reset, allowing the flower to absorb them.

The flower gasped, the sensation causing him to fall fully down as he jerked harshly. The two souls had entered as he expected, but the dark remains of the other Chara were of something vile. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to take it, and finally, things subsided. Slowly, Grillby turned, along with Frisk as the flower quivered, slowly rising.

"We…we did it…we stopped them…" Flowey breathed, trying to take it in. "We actually did it!" he exclaimed as Grillby set Frisk down, allowing them to come over, as they questioned the flower quietly. "Huh…how do I feel?" Flowey asked as he quivered. "I feel…heh…" He smiled weakly. "I do actually feel something right now…relieved…happy…a little…sad?" He shook his head. "That doesn't matter; we need to see if you can see save points!"

Frisk gasped and rushed down the hall, while Flowey vanished into the ground. "Child, wait!" Grillby called in surprise as he rushed after the child as they raced through the dark room where they had originally met Flowey, and into the next one, sliding to a stop, their eyes lighting up as they stared, a relieved smile coming to them. At the base of the stairs, was a golden star.

Flowey poked his head out of the ground. "Frisk, can you see it?" he asked hesitantly. They nodded, and Flowey sank in relief. "Hurry, reset, Frisk! This time, we can do it right! We know what to do, and if we tell the others what we did—we have the chance to do it without anyone getting killed!"

Frisk nodded, hugging themselves briefly to feel Sans's hoodie around them, and Papyrus's scarf gently moving with them. They'd have them back. They'd have everyone back. They looked back to Grillby, who stared down at them in confusion. Flowey smiled, laughing softly. "In a moment, it won't matter, so there's no point in explaining," Flowey replied.

"I believe I may understand vaguely," the fire monster replied. "Humans do have interesting magical abilities…but I suppose I can live without an explanation."

The human breathed out, and then reached out for the star. Then, they reached for the will to reset, to do it all right. They closed their eyes as the sensation of everything reverting back took hold, until even they got yanked back through the reset. It was time to fix it all. Everything was a blur, till their eyes snapped back open, blinking in stunned confusion, as always, when something like this happened. Their eyes focused, and they found themselves in the little garden of golden flowers.

"We…we did it…we stopped them…" Flowey breathed, trying to take it in. "We actually did it!" he exclaimed as Grillby set Frisk down, only to have to catch them as their legs gave out. "I…I don't know how to feel about this…" Flowey said as he quivered. "I feel…heh…" He smiled weakly. "I do actually feel something for once." He shook his head, and looked back to Frisk. "That doesn't matter; we need to see if you can see save points!"

The human didn't move, their head lowered as Grillby held them. "Frisk?" Flowey asked, ducking into the ground, before popping up again much closer. "Frisk? What's wrong? We did it…we can reset now!" They whimpered, and then suddenly began to cry again, much to the surprise of the other two.

"Child…?" Grillby questioned gently as he hugged them close. They sobbed, trying several times to say it, but when they fully choked it out, Flowey stiffened.

"What…what do you mean?" Flowey barely managed. "…what do you mean you only reset back to here?"

Grillby didn't quite understand what this all meant, but he did know that something the two had planned had gone wrong, but without knowing, and with those two not seeming up to conversation, he did what was best, and simply hugged the child, trying vainly to comfort them as they cried.

They couldn't go back.


	13. Left it in Tatters

Grillby quietly walked out of the Ruins, holding the horribly silent child in his arms, with Flowey slowly following, constantly popping in and out of the ground, looking up in concern at Frisk as they went silent, numb to their surroundings.

"Grillby?" The two turned to see a concerned Dogamy step out of the woods, looking them over. "Are any of you hurt?"

"…we bare no physical wounds…" Grillby replied. "The child may need tending to, their emotions…"

"They won't die from that," Flowey said, drawing their attention to him. "At least—not as fast as a monster would…"

"Humans are known to deal with heavy emotions without as many consequences coming right away," Dogamy murmured. "But we should head back to Snowdin. You can tell me what happened then."

Grillby made a hum of agreement and then they headed back, silent as they moved through the forest, eventually making their way back to town. They looked up when they saw Doggo leaning against the door to Grillby's. He looked up, seeing them come. "…how'd it go?"

"They stopped the human," Dogamy murmured, then raised a brow. "What's going on?"

"A spider monster came to Snowdin, apparently looking for Grillby. She was freezing, so I let her in. Sorry 'bout that, Grillby."

"…not a problem." He seemed confused though, and then opened the door, all four going in. Sure enough, sitting at a table, was Muffet, bundled up in many layers of clothing, and yet, still shivering and cold. Grillby seemed to blink. "…hello?" he asked.

Muffet perked in surprise. "Well, there's the face to that voice," she replied as she stood, coming over, extending her hand with a quiet smile. "It's good to finally meet a faithful customer."

"You're Miss. Muffet," Grillby replied, recognizing her voice, adjusting his hold, and shaking her hand. Due to Grillby living in Snowdin, he didn't ever go to Hotland for any of the pastries he'd order from her, as it was risky to go through Waterfall due to being made of flames, and even if he took the river, it was still a risk for obvious reasons.

Muffet didn't come to Snowdin due to being so sensitive to the cold, so the two only knew each other from phone calls when Grillby would make orders. The river person would always handle taking the deliveries, so the two were only meeting face to face for the first time. "…were you hurt at all?" Grillby asked in concern.

She shook her head. "No, I simply delayed them; it's you I was worried about."

"…there was no need. They've been stopped…and none of us suffered so much as a scratch…" Frisk fussed, and he was forced to put them down, and the small bit of light heartedness vanished. Grillby had explained some of the deaths, and Muffet was well aware, so she knelt, two of her hands reaching over and grabbing the child into a quick hug, another hand patting their head.

However, Frisk squirmed away, and started heading for the door. "Dearie?" Muffet asked. "Where are you going?"

There was a quiet mutter. "The library?" Grillby asked. "Are you s—" However, he was caught off guard when they slammed the door shut behind them.

Muffet stood nervously, concern and worry written all over her face. "…we're not leaving them unattended are we?"

"…of course not." With that, the two rushed after the child as they raced through the snow, managing to not trip from Sans's hoodie. They tried to open the door, and then banged on it when they found it still locked, demanding them to open it, as it was safe now.

There was a pause, and then hesitantly, after peering through a window, the librarian opened the door. Frisk darted around them, marching over to the books, while Grillby and Muffet followed after them, while Flowey opted to wait outside. Frisk stomped over to the first bookshelf, grabbed a book, and looked at the title, before promptly dropping it on the floor, and grabbing another.

Muffet hurried over. "Dearie—what are you?" She paused as Frisk shoved a book in her hands. She looked down at it, and felt her heart sink down. It was a book about monster souls. She flinched as the child dropped another useless book. Grillby came over, and Muffet looked up, feeling a little sick. "…I…" She showed him the book.

Grillby's embers seemed to grow smaller for a moment, as if he were dimming, and then, he quietly stepped forward, resting a hand on the child. "…go to the table with that one…I'll find more…" The child clutched the book they had in their grasp, and slowly slunk away to the table.

Muffet quietly went after the child, wanting to keep an eye on them, while Grillby slowly gathered books. He already knew what the child would find, but stopping them wasn't going to solve the issue. The child was emotionally hurt, and Grillby wasn't sure if he should prolong them finding the answer that wasn't there, or if he should push forward, and have them find it faster so that they could go into the next stage of grief.

Denial…that was clear and evident in the child, however, once they found that they could no longer deny this, that there was nothing to be done for the souls that had been lost…they would become angry. Grillby was acquainted with this; he's seen the stages repeat many times. Working in a bar, one would learn more about their customers than one would think, as Grillby's was a place people went to drown their sorrows and be happy for a while.

Anger was one he was cautious with, not because of fear of being hurt when lashed out at, Grillby was not above dropping kicking out those who deliberately sought out a fight, but anger was always a dangerous phase. Grillby sighed softly, picking up a few more books from the shelves.

He'd have to do it. Once the child scoured all the books in the library, they'd take it. He perked, looking up as Dogamy entered, going over to the child, kneeling, talking to them gently; a slight tilt to his head as he spoke. The child seemed reluctant, but then slowly slipped out of Sans's hoodie, and handed it to the dog. Dogamy nodded, and briefly nuzzled them, before rising and leaving. It seemed he was going to spread Sans's dust, but the child refused to relinquish Papyrus's scarf.

It was understandable. For the next few hours, Muffet helped Frisk in their vain attempt to find something of use, but the books all said the same thing. Monster souls disappeared upon death…only boss monsters could stay, but only for a brief moment. They weren't like human souls. They couldn't stay…but Frisk would reject the book, and go to the next, hoping one would say something different.

But not a single one did.

"Frisk!" Grillby and Muffet called out, in a bit of concern, and perhaps slightly scolding when Frisk stormed out.

"F—Frisk!" Flowey exclaimed from where he had kept himself rooted the entire time. As Grillby and Muffet chased after the child, the flower kept popping in and out, trying to keep up and talk to them at the same time. "Frisk! You have to calm down!"

Frisk kept going, only to gasp in alarm as they were yanked off the ground by Grillby as he held them up, looking at them straight on. "…I will not tolerate this…" The child quivered, looking angry, but Grillby could see that they were simply trying to avoid crying again. "…I understand that you are in pain," he managed. "I lost some good friends in this…but I will not allow you to be self-destructive. Be upset, be angry, cry, scream, I don't care. Do it if it helps."

They trembled. Frisk was tired of crying…of feeling weak and helpless, but their heart hurt, and Grillby didn't quite help in that aspect as he held them close, allowing them to break again. They had to let out all their hurt, Grillby knew that, even though Frisk didn't want to let it out. Frisk felt weak when they cried, and it seemed that was all they've been doing ever since Chara took the initiative.

They didn't want to cry…they didn't want Chara to have the last laugh. They were probably enjoying themselves, deep down within Flowey. Enjoying everything they have destroyed. They had promised Papyrus they would smile again after all of this, but…that was because they thought that if they survived, they could fix everything, and bring them all back. Now though, they were all gone, and there was no way to call monster souls back.

And how was Frisk to deal with that? Sans had been counting on them, but they had failed him. He had thought they would reset once they could, but that was out of their reach. They'd never be able to reset far enough back to fix everything.

They were gone…Frisk couldn't save them…and Frisk felt sick knowing that the idea of the promise they had made seemed so far out of reach, unable to be achieved. How could they ever be happy again with all of them gone?

They whimpered something, and Grillby listened, pausing, his flames nearly stilling. "…you want to go to waterfall?" They nodded, and then simply hid their face against his chest, willing themselves to keep together, at least for a little longer. Grillby looked down at the flower, who swayed slightly.

"I can get there on my own, if you take them." Grillby nodded, and the flower vanished.

"Are you sure, Sir?" the spider monster asked.

"It's best…" He murmured, already heading for the boat.

Muffet hesitated, and then followed after him. "I'll come with you," she offered.

"…it would be appreciated, Miss. Muffet."

She dipped her head slightly, and followed him to the river. The fire monster tensed, looking silently at the water, before to the river person. "Would you like a ride?"

"Yes," Grillby replied, stepping onto the boat, before offering a hand to Muffet, effortlessly helping her on.

"Where to then?"

"…Waterfall."

"Then we're off…" With that, the boat smoothly began to move down the river.

Usually, the river person would sing softly as they went, but this time, they didn't. They still murmured softly though. "Beware the man who came from the other world…" The trip was otherwise uneventful, simply passing without incident. When they made it to the Waterfall stop, Flowey was already poking out of the ground. Grillby stepped off, helping Muffet safely onto the shore. "Take care," the river person murmured softly.

They moved to the North of the area, ending up near Gerson's—the old turtle's shop. However, Frisk insisted on going east, and Grillby was willing to comply…until water covered the path. "…where are you trying to go…?"

"…into the field," Flowey replied as Grillby and Muffet looked down at him. The flower's petals seemed to droop. "…I…I'll watch them for you…"

Grillby silently stared, and then nodded, setting the child down. "…come back if you need anything… …I'll be here for you, all right?" Frisk silently nodded, and then walked off, trudging through the water, causing Grillby's flames to move oddly as he shuddered at the thought of the water touching them.

"Are you sure this time?" Muffet asked.

Grillby nodded. "They can't harm themselves here…and I trust the flower enough to come back if they somehow find a way."

Frisk made it through the Echo Flower field, slowly going to where they had spent the peaceful picnic with everyone. Had it really just been the other day? …how did it change so fast? They whimpered, dropping to their knees where Asgore had planted the recital flowers in a beautiful circle. They looked at their arms where Papyrus's scarf was wrapped firmly around them.

Frisk quietly touched one of the tails, wishing they would never have to remove it. To constantly have this around them, like it was somehow a shield to protect them…if only it could protect their heart from the million swords that have cut into it and left it in tatters. The knots around their wrists were firm, for Sans had made certain that it couldn't come undone… Papyrus and Sans…just two brothers who cared for each other, and now, both were dust, not even being able to say goodbye to each other, for Sans had been too little, too late.

"H-hi…I'm Alphys…former Royal Scientist, but that doesn't matter. Um…I don't have anything super inspiring to say, so I'll just let the theme of my favorite anime play. Maybe at least I can inspire you to watch that…" Frisk jerked their head up in surprise, listening to the recital flower as it played, and tears welled up in their eyes.

Something came out of the ground, and coiled around to rest on their shoulder gently. They turned to see Flowey, and that he had summoned a thornless vine to comfort them, to at least let them know he was there. Even now, his face seemed partially morphed to show the prince he had used to be. Frisk slowly turned away, quivering, the recital flowers slowly breaking their heart.

Asgore's gentle, but deep voice emitted. "Everyone, these are called Recital Flowers. They're like Echo Flowers in the sense that they can repeat what they heard, except, they only record once, and then repeat that for the rest of their lives, even if they were to hibernate in the winter. They remain closed until the base of their petals are touched, like I had done, and to stop them from listening, you blow over the petals like you would a candle. Like so."

"Listen up! This is Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard! This better get your blood pumping, ya here? Oh, and if you're one of my Guards that's on duty while listening to this, GET BACK TO WORK! I can't have you slacking off! Fuhuhu~!"

"Hello, little listeners. You've probably heard some excited youths who are living their dreams. When you are feeling uncertain of your life desires, you should think about how they got to where they wanted to be. A journey starts with a single step, and sometimes the straightest path is not the right one. Work at your own pace, your dream will wait patiently for you."

"Hey, Sans here. I'm Papyrus's brother…he's the coolest, so you should totally go listen to what his Recital Flower has to say."

"This is the Great Papyrus, a member of the Royal Guard. I hope hearing this message will help inspire you to chase after your dreams, no matter how unlikely they may be, and to not let the unexpected stop you. And sometimes, you may have to follow what's in your heart, even if it goes against the path of your dreams. Believe me, I've been there, but I still got to be a Royal Guard. Sincerely, the Great Papyrus."

Frisk broke down, crying, tears flowing, their grief flowing out like a river as Flowey's vine came around in an improvised hug. They had all been so happy—hopeful for the future that would not be theirs. What was Frisk to do!? They were just a child—just a child—just—

 _Human, I know you're not a fighter._ They stiffened, remembered Papyrus's dying words. _But you're not helpless in this, don't forget that! You travelled all the Underground with everyone after your soul! You even foiled the Great Papyrus, fought Undyne, the Royal Guard, and you went up against a King and Queen…I bet you went up against greater things that I can't quite remember, but you had to, right?_ They had…they had basically gone up against a God…and somehow won, but…this… How were they not helpless in all of this?

 _Sans said you have Determination, in that case, it's time to use it!_ Frisk suddenly clasped their hands together, clenching tight as they bit their lip. _Then you can get through this, I, the Great Papyrus believe in you!_

 _We're not giving up on you…_ came Sans's tired voice. _So don't you go giving up there,_ he had said as he touched their chest gently. _No matter what, I'm rootin' for ya, Kiddo._ Frisk's crying quieted, and then, they wiped their eyes dry as something clicked in, and then they abruptly rose. Forget the books; they had another thing to chase before they dared call it quits!

"F…Frisk?" Flowey asked hesitantly as they gently brushed his vine off them. "What are you doing?" As they headed back the way they came, he ducked down into the ground to follow them.

While Frisk had been in the Echo Flower field, Grillby and Muffet had remained on the edge, sitting down, leaning against the cave wall. They had been quiet at first, but Muffet took notice of his slight shudders. At first, she thought it had been the wet area, but eventually, she saw little embers, such tiny little orbs of flame fall from his face. The monster was silently grieving.

Hesitantly, she reached out, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Sir…?" she questioned softly.

He paused, going still and silent for several long moments. "…I'm sorry…" he murmured, before looking up at her. "…you do not need to concern yourself, it's just been…" Grillby sighed softly. "The past few hours have been very trying…that other human, they just…there's so much damage, and I'm not sure if everyone can recover, and I…" His light dimmed, his flames dwindling.

"I could only watch…I couldn't help…my good friend…his brother…I have to take care of that child, but I worry…the poor thing has been shown so much violence."

Muffet somewhat tightened her grasp in a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "But I know that doesn't help, but…if you ever need any assistance when aiding the child, give me a call. I'd be glad to lend a hand or two."

There seemed to be a smile within the flames, a soft, sad one. "Sans would have made some horrid pun at that…but I am grateful for the offer. This child needs to know that there are others that care…I would have just said to surround them with their loved ones, but…"

Muffet nodded slowly. "That's not an option anymore…the poor Dearie." They were quiet for a few more minutes, before Muffet looked up. "I had always been hoping to meet my most faithful customer face-to-face…I just wish it was under much better circumstances."

"…As do I," Grillby murmured. "…your pastries sell rather well," he informed her.

She looked away a bit shyly. "And your constant patronage allowed me to fund travel for the spiders in the Ruins much sooner."

"…I am glad that I was of assistance…" Grillby murmured.

Muffet smiled, if just slightly, before they turned, seeing the child returning. "Frisk, Dearie?" Muffet asked, managing to get a sound of acknowledgement as they passed her, with Flowey poking his head up. The adults looked at each other in concern, and then got up, following after the child, who stopped in front of the river person, muttering softly.

The hooded figure tilted their head. "What was that, child?"

"I said…" They slowly raised their head. "Who is the man that came from the other world?"


	14. Dawn of this Place

The River Person looked silently at the human, before slowly taking their gaze down the river. "…the man who came from another world? …that is a warning far older than I. I do not know the tale behind it. It's just a warning passed through time." The human looked down, clenching their fists. "However…" Frisk slowly looked back up. "Gerson might know. He's one of the oldest monsters we have around, knowing times even before the war."

The child blinked, and without so much as a sound, they whirled around and headed back up, as Gerson's shop was just north of the river station. "Frisk!" Flowey exclaimed as they race past him. "What are you even trying to do!?"

Grillby silently watched the human, slowly shaking his head. It seemed something had fired up their will again, but they'll likely only get crushed once more when they finally hit the dead-end of their trail. When the child entered the shop, they found Gerson sitting quietly at his stand; his head resting against his propped up and folded hands. They tapped the counter to get his attention, and the turtle monster slowly raised his head, looking down at them.

"Down here, already, eh?" he asked softly, the way he looked…the way he spoke…Frisk realized he knew already, and that news really did spread fast. They drooped, silent at first, hesitating to ask, while Gerson glanced up when he saw Grillby and Muffet step in behind the human. "Well…this is a surprise."

Grillby simply nodded while Muffet politely dipped her head. "We're watching out for the little dearie."

The fire monster paused, going still almost. "…they seemed to want to ask you something in the hopes of figuring something out."

"And what's that?" the turtle asked, leaning his head close, knowing that the child spoke a bit softly, and he wasn't getting any younger. The child nervously murmured their question, beginning to wonder if it was the time and place, just after he had heard about the deaths that had occurred. "The man that came from another world?" The turtle nodded. "That's a tale just about as old as monsters, though it was before written history, so the accuracy may have lessened over the years. It's a really interesting story though…"

Flowey poked his head out of the earth, and all four leaned in a bit curiously, as Grillby and Muffet held no recollection of such a tale at the moment. The turtle was quiet, his gaze going astray as he went to collect his thoughts. "…I don't remember." Frisk's head promptly met the counter with a soft moan. "Now, don't give me that! I'm an old man, my memory ain't all that good."

The turtle sighed, tapping his fingers on the counter briefly. "Wait!" he exclaimed as something came to him. "I may not remember the tale at the moment, but I remember someone who knows it very well." He gave a frown, tapping the counter again. "They live in Temmie Village; I remember that…just need to remember where that is…"

Frisk gasped, waving their hand frantically, while Grillby raised a brow. "…you know where it is?" They nodded, and dove back out of the shop.

"Hold it, kid!" Gerson exclaimed as he stood, then shook his head. "Ah, youngsters. Here, let me come along with you. That kid must be a handful."

"They're becoming several all right…" Muffet murmured as the four monsters hurried out, with Flowey ducking into the ground. However, Grillby stopped at the water's edge when he found the child went back to the flower field. Muffet paused. "That's problematic."

"Indeed," Grillby replied, trying to find some way around it while Gerson simply trudged through it.

"Oh!" Muffet murmured. "It'll just take a little magic." She twirled her finger, purple magic swirling around it before she spread her hand, the purple magic going across the water after Gerson got out, and then, a sturdy web was formed over the water. "My webs are stronger than they look," she explained. "I could just make webs over any other water gaps we see."

Grillby looked at it warily, and slowly slid a foot forth, testing its strength. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he and water would never get along. However, the webbing was extremely sturdy, and didn't so much as bend under his weight. He stepped onto it fully, and glanced back to her. "…your magic is quite deceiving," he said. "It looks like it would break under the smallest pressure…but I assume it can take on quite powerful forces if need be."

Muffet rose a free hand to her face, shyly looking away as her eyes blinked. "Perhaps. The worst beatings I tend to get are busy days at the bakery." Humans were the worst her webs had seen, and with Chara, she had purposely allowed her webs to be easily broken, simply drawing out the fight for a while. If she had truly wanted to, her webs wouldn't have done so much as tremble when the rocks had hit the strings.

With the solution for navigating with Grillby found, the rest of the traveling went rather smoothly, with Frisk leading the way into one of the dark mushroom areas. However, they simply lit up the trail, before heading to southernmost part of the area…and suddenly seemed to be walking on air, catching the others off guard, until Grillby approached and his flames revealed a nearly invisible path in the darkness.

They followed Frisk into the darkness, and then, sure enough, light returned as they came into a small area, filled with small monsters with white fur, and black hair, and seemed to be the cross of a dog and a cat. "Hoi!" came several greetings from the creatures as they went about their daily business.

Muffet and Grillby looked quietly at the village, not too surprised by the monsters. They were well aware of the Temmies, but they did a good job at keeping their village secluded. _So this is where they live…_ she and Grillby mused to themselves. They were so secluded that they weren't even aware of most of the deaths yet. News took at least an extra day before it would reach a Temmie's ear for the most part. Though that could work in Frisk's favor.

Frisk looked around, and then reached for Gerson. He slowly knelt and lowered his head, listening to them. "Eh? Who knows the story here? Hrrm…" He hummed softly, stroking his beard as he tried to remember. "Now, what was their name…? John? Joe? Bo? …nah, not those—ah!" He snapped his fingers, suddenly remembering. "Bob was that one's name."

"Bob?" The group looked to a Temmie, who tilted their head. "Yous look for Bob?" Most Temmies were not known for having the best of grammar…or any at all in some cases. Frisk, however, knelt down, and nodded to them, not wanting to get too close, due to being allergic. The Temmie gasped. "I's find Bob!" With that, the Temmie went racing off, creating quite the commotion.

Soon enough, most of the Temmies were scurrying around, searching for Bob, while the others stared blankly at the display, before they looked at Gerson, who shrugged. "I can't help who knows the tale," he said in his defense while Flowey watched the display in mild annoyance. He didn't really care for the Temmies for the most part.

Eventually, a lone Temmie came over, and dipped its head politely before sitting down before them. "Hello. I'm Bob," they said. "For what reason did you request my presence?" Unlike other Temmies, this one spoke in clean English, and with a surprising large vocabulary. They looked to the turtle, and seemed to perk up happily. "Hello, Mr. Gerson, it's been a while since we last talked."

"Indeed it has," Gerson replied. "Anyways, to explain this little group. The kid wanted to know about the 'man from another world', but I'm getting old, memory isn't as good as it used to be."

"So you want me to inform them of that ancient tale?" Bob asked with a tilt of their head. Gerson nodded and the Temmie rose a little. "In that case, everyone sit down, this might take some time. After all, the tale is old and was passed from mouth to ear for many generations, so though I remember it in intricate detail, I cannot promise how accurate the story is after all this time."

"How long are we talking?" Flowey asked.

Bob seemed a little excited at that. "It's as old as time itself. In fact, most say it's the first story this world ever had, the dawn of this place."

"…then who is this man from the other world?" Grillby asked.

Bob smiled. "Of course, in this world, 'man' is a loosely used word. He used to be referred to as something else, until the term started to be used as taboo for monster kind. He has no name, but…" The Temmie pointed to the painting on the wall. "That dragon," they said. "That's the man from another world."

Muffet stared in alarm. "He looks like a…"

Bob nodded slowly. "A beast." Frisk looked at them in confusion. "Oh that's right; a human wouldn't know…"

Gerson looked to the child. "You know how monsters are tied to their emotions?" Gerson asked. They nodded slowly. "Well, when a monster begins to fill with many amounts of dark emotions, they start to turn into twisted creatures that we call Beasts. When they finish changing, they lose their sanity, and forget what they once were. They transform into something feral and wild…and they have to be killed after that, as there is no cure to reverse the effects."

Bob nodded sadly. "The dragon was not of such ill intent however," they said as they looked at the group quietly. "The dragon was said to be very kind, and very wise, and helped form this world. It was said that when he came to this world, it was nothing but water. An endless ocean covered it, not a single speck of land. So he swam, bringing but only one thing from his world when he left it."

Grillby glanced to the picture. "…a Temmie?" he questioned in confusion.

"Indeed," Bob replied. "It is said that Temmies were from the other world, but still a creation of his own. He brought one to this world, and formed an island for them. After that, the dragon continued creating the world. He made monsters and humans alike, but in doing so, a good portion of his ocean vanished. Legend goes that that ocean is now underground, and that he lives down there, guarding the souls of monsters and humans alike."

Frisk gasped, and jerked up, grabbing Bob and yanking them over, muttering urgently in their ear. "What? How do you get to that ocean?" Bob squirmed gently out of Frisk's hold. "It's an old tale," Bob said. "I can't say anything is for certain. I do not know if the ocean can be found, and even if it is, there's no say of what's even down there. It might just be water. However…there is someone with plentiful amounts of information."

"And who might that be?" Muffet asked.

Bob gave a shrug. "They gave no name to themselves, but they were very knowledgeable with the world's history. The last I heard, they went into Snowdin, which I thought was rather odd indeed."

"Why?" Grillby questioned.

"They were reptilian," Bob explained. "Why would a lizard make a home in artic like climates?"

"That is strange," Gerson murmured. "That type of monster doesn't do well with the cold."

"…they aren't in the town," Grillby murmured. "And haven't been a part of it for at least two decades."

"What?" Muffet asked in surprise.

"I own the only restaurant in town," Grillby murmured. "And I lived there for a few years prior. Just about everyone comes there, and _they_ haven't…nor has anyone even breathed word of such a monster secluding themselves in the town."

"Maybe they went to the Ruins?" Bob asked, and then shook its head. "No, we likely would have seen them by now due to the news of the barrier breaking…"

"Maybe there's someone living deep in the forests of Snowdin," Gerson said. "When I was a bit younger, I'd go down into the valley, there were a few cabins down there for hermit monsters."

Frisk gasped, and murmured something.

"You've seen a house down in the valley below, dearie?" Muffet asked, and they nodded, before murmuring more. "With a light in the window, smoke in the chimney…" She gasped softly. "And you saw a human-like shape come out at one point?"

Bob perked. "The monster I spoke of was like that, aside from the reptilian features. Maybe that's where he is nowadays."

"Well," Gerson murmured. "I suppose if we were really determined to—"

Frisk jumped up, with said determined look while Flowey gave an exasperated laugh. "…we're going anyways…unless you can tie Frisk to something."

"…I could…" Grillby murmured, causing Frisk to jump back. "… but that would be cruel."

Frisk sighed in relief, and Grillby stood. "Frisk…I'm not sure what you're quite looking for here…even if we somehow found their souls, then what?" Frisk was silent, not even having an answer. Grillby sighed. "Very well, I'll help you find this person, but if it ends up being a dead-end, I must ask you to give this up. You'll only hurt yourself in the long run if you chase after the dead for too long."

The human nodded solemnly, while Muffet drew them into a hug. "We just want what's best for you, Dearie." She stroked their hair gently. "I know it hurts, but even human magic can only do so much. We just don't want you to tear yourself up even more than you already are…"

Frisk nodded, and allowed the group to lead them back out, with Gerson opting to walk with them for the time being. However, on their way back through the Echo Field, a familiar voice called out. "Frisk, darling?" Frisk turned to see Mettaton rushing over along with Napstablook, dropping to a knee. "Goodness, child, are you all right? News is spreading faster than anything I've ever seen—are you hurt!?"

Frisk shook their head, and gave the 'okay' sign, much to his relief. "That's good…" Napstablook replied as they floated above their cousin. "We got so worried when we heard…oh no…we lost so many…what are we going to do?" They had lost their King and Queen, and with no true heir aside from Flowey, and most of the runner ups also gone, there was confusion as to what would become of the monster kingdom.

Gerson folded his arms. Mettaton was well known for the most part ever sense his special airing alongside Frisk, even Gerson knew—though it helped to live right by the two in his case. "There isn't much for the moment," Gerson murmured. "For now, the kingdom will have to tend to the dead, after that…we'll try to find a suitable ruler."

Grillby nodded. "…until then, everything will be up in the air."

Muffet frowned. "But who will we even consider for a new ruler? Undyne, or one of the brothers would have been the kingdom's first choices."

"There's hidden gems in the kingdom," Napstablook murmured softly. "Like Mettaton…no one knew anything about him at first, and now everyone really likes him…so there's probably someone we don't even know about yet that would be really great, we just have to look…oh no…I'm sorry…I said too much."

"Nonsense, Blooky," Mettaton murmured, drawing the ghost close. "I think that was well said."

"Really…?"

Grillby perked as someone tugged on his coat. He looked down to see Frisk impatiently and insistently tugging. "…already wishing to get on the move?" They nodded vigorously whereas the robot and the ghost looked in confusion.

"Where are they in a hurry to?" Mettaton asked.

Muffet raised a hand to the back of her head. "It's a bit of a story…"

"Then I guess you'll tell us on the boat."

"Will there even be enough room on there?" Flowey asked.

The turtle smirked for a brief moment. "I can swim, those two can fly, so long as no one splashes any water, you'll be fine."

Grillby paused. "…you're coming?"

"Course I am," Gerson replied. "Got a little fighting spirit left in me, and this kid seems determined to find this monster. Might as well help, hmm?"

"Blooky and I would be glad to offer our assistance as well," Mettaton replied as Napstablook nodded. "I owe it to Alphys after all; she'd want them to be safe."

Muffet glanced to Grillby and he nodded before she turned with a slight smile. "We appreciate the offer."

With that, the group headed for the boat, but to Muffet's surprise, something dropped gently on her shoulders. She turned slightly to see that Grillby had given her his coat. "…you seemed cold in Snowdin. You can have this for now."

Muffet blinked, feeling a slight blush creep up her face. "Err—I—um—thank you, Sir…" she managed before he helped her onto the boat, while Gerson slipped into the water, and Mettaton and Napstablook hovered over the river. Flowey vanished into the ground as they headed back to Snowdin, with Muffet explaining the happenings to the other two.


	15. Golden Eyes

Flowey had a very dead pan look on his face as Muffet carried him into Grillby's, and then gently, but shakily, due to just coming out of the cold, set him down in some soil…the make-shift pot—since his had been forgotten in the Ruins—was an empty glass. He slowly looked up to Grillby. "You don't have any flower pots…?"

"…this is Snowdin…even though we have flowers that survive here…they wouldn't last long inside…so no, I don't."

 _This is humiliating…_ he mumbled to himself.

"So," Mettaton started as Napstablook floated beside him. "That's why they're dead-set on getting a move on," he murmured as he looked to the child sitting at the counter, poking at the French fries Grillby had made for them, as the fire monster refused to set off on this poorly planned journey until they ate something.

Muffet nodded. "They said they saw the place we needed to go, but that's down in the valley…"

Napstablook looked up. "Mettaton and I could fly down there…"

"We could," the robot agreed. "However, it would be a risk to fly down with anyone. This body wasn't fully completed, and the flight fuel for it may not make a round trip at this point. Plus, this body wasn't quite built for fighting. If we ran into trouble, and I couldn't fly to safety, it would get destroyed."

"Oh…" Napstablook murmured. "I'm sorry…we'll have to take the long way…"

"The long way to what?" The group turned in surprise as Dogamy entered, and draped gently over his arm was Sans's hoodie. He raised a brow of questioning as he spotted the other monsters that hadn't been there earlier. "…I seemed to have missed out on some things…"

"…I can explain…" Grillby murmured.

It took a bit, but eventually, Dogamy was brought up to speed. "Well, looks like you've got another member to your little rag-tag team."

"…rag-tag team?"

"The only one who has actually trained in fighting aside from me, would be Gerson. The rest of you have either only fought a few times, or not at all," he said, looking directly at Grillby as he said the last part. "If you think I'm going to let you wander out in the deepest parts of Snowdin without some sort of guide that actually knows the area, you're wrong."

"…I have no intentions of saying no to a Royal Guard who would know his way around," the fire monster replied.

Dogamy nodded. "It's still a trek just to get to the valley on foot. I'd suggest packing for a camp out."

Mettaton looked up. "If I could be any assistance in packing…"

Muffet raised a hand. "It's not much, but I can make traveling snacks, and perhaps some makeshift materials if need be."

"And I don't need to sleep or recharge," Napstablook said. "So I can watch the camp at night…"

"I'll make us a list of what we need," Dogamy assured. "First…" He quietly moved over to the child and rested a hand on their shoulder. They looked up, and he gently held out the hoodie to them. They took it, hugging it against them, burying their face into the fur-lined hood.

The canine reached up, petting their head gently, before looking at the group. It seemed they all had a reason to stick around, oddly enough. If not for what little relations the human had made for them, it was for the sake of someone else. Mettaton and Napstablook were doing it for Alphys, Grillby for Sans, and Gerson was doing it for Undyne. Dogamy thought about it briefly. Perhaps he was doing it for Papyrus, though they didn't know each other well out of their duties.

 _Well, if we did somehow recover them, like Frisk hopes to do…I'll have to remedy that._

It took a while, but eventually, the whole group was ready, with Mettaton and oddly Gerson being the ones to carry a good portion of the supplies, though the rest—except for Napstablook—all had a pack.

Frisk had slipped into Sans's hoodie, but only after Muffet had taken it, using her webs, and her expertise with threads to have it not drape down to the ground, but at the same time, not actually damage the hoodie. However, before they left, Dogaressa came in, looking worriedly to her husband. "Dogamy?"

He looked to her, a soft look coming to him before he strode over, taking her into his arms briefly. "Things will be all right, Dear. One way or another."

She gripped him tightly. "I really don't want you going…"

"I know, Dear…"

"I should knock you out with my axe and then lock you in our house."

"That is definitely not outside your capabilities…"

"Then why am I not doing it?" she muttered into him.

He couldn't help a slight smile. "Because you know I have a job…and you know that it is not your place right now. Your job is here, where it's safe. You know I tell you this not just for your sake."

"I know," she grumbled. "And had it not been for just my sake, I'd be coming, like it or not."

"You've made that clear, Dearest."

She squeezed him a little tighter. "Come back soon…and safe. If you get hurt, I'll clobber you and if—"

"And if I die, you'll kill me."

"Correct."

Dogamy chuckled gently. "Very well, I shall not do either."

"Then we've found an agreement," she murmured, reluctantly releasing him.

"I'll be back soon," he promised.

She nodded, but that didn't remove the worried expression upon her face as she left.

It wasn't long after that the group left Snowdin, heading west, as there was a way down in the valley if one cut through the woods near the Ruin's entrance. There wasn't much talk as Frisk bundled up in Sans's hoodie, carrying Flowey, who grumbled quietly at it. Mettaton and Napstablook spoke softly, while Dogamy spoke with Gerson up ahead, debating on where to go after Frisk eventually detoured with the two to show them the house they had seen when looking down into the valley by the cave entrance.

Muffet, while not traveling far, was already shivering, despite being bundled up well. After all, when she realized she was going to Snowdin, she had gotten all her winter gear. She wore a thick winter coat for a spider monster like herself, snow pants, snow boots, three pairs of mittens, a hat, a scarf, and even ear muffs. She still had Grillby's coat as well. Yet, despite all of this, they hadn't been outside for more than five minutes, and she was already shaking like a leaf.

The spider monster gasped in surprise as an arm drew around her, bringing her against a warm heat source. She looked up to see Grillby, whose attention was up ahead. He had grabbed a spare coat, but had drawn it slightly around her. Grillby, being a fire monster, had been used as a personal heater a few times, so doing this was normal to him. Muffet however, yanked her hood down a bit, blushing red. …at least it helped her feel warm.

He didn't see an issue with his actions though, doing it out of habit, whereas Muffet, not living in the cold simply found herself flustered by being so close to the gentleman. "Are you sure you should be coming?" he asked. "…you weren't meant for a place like this…"

She looked up, her breath visible in the cold as she kept her arms around herself. "P—probably not, but I can't let the handful of men handle the child alone."

Grillby seemed to quietly raise a brow. "Are we…inadequate?"

"No! Just, how to say…hrrm…" She looked forward, thinking for a moment, to find the word, though the look on her face nearly made the fire monster chuckle, as it was some odd mix of thoughtful, and a childish pout. "Well, let's just say I'll feel better if I'm here to help."

"…I…think I see what you're trying to get at…without you along, there's no motherly figure for them." He wasn't suggesting for anyone to replace anybody, but Muffet would be the only who would be able to provide that sort of thing within the group.

Muffet yanked her hood down. "Mother? M—maybe that was wh—what I was getting at…" Thankfully, with being so cold, Grillby wouldn't notice if that was stuttering from the cold weather, or because he had her flustered beyond belief.

Eventually, the group made their way to the Ruins. Dogamy looked back to the others. "The trek gets rougher from here due to the lack of a trail," he warned.

Frisk glared at the forest that would hinder their progress. They had to go through there to find a safe way down, and then back track through the valley. It was going to take time, and Frisk didn't appreciate it. Especially when they were so small, and the snow was so deep. It was going to be a long trek…they yelped in alarm as they were suddenly whisked up, solid arms cradling them like a little toddler.

"Well, darling," Mettaton said, looking down with a slight smile, carrying them effortlessly despite the large pack on his back. Being a robot, he offered to carry as much as possible, as his body could sustain a good amount of weight with all things considered. So an extra few pounds in his arms was nothing. "No need to walk when you can be carried, hmm?"

He had been hoping to get a smile out of them—even if just slightly, but they simply nodded and curled up in his arms, causing the smile on his metallic face to vanish into a concerned frown as his cousin came over. "Frisk…?" the ghost asked softly, their eyes shimmering, as they seemed to do so often.

The child shifted, looking up just slightly though one eye at them. While Flowey poked his head up tiredly in his make shift flower pot. The ghost managed to smile slightly. "Can I rest with you…?" They all knew Napstablook didn't need to, they were a ghost after all, but they were simply offering their company. The child was silent, and then nodded. The ghost's smile broadened briefly, before they sank down into Mettaton's grasp, not protesting when the child reached for them. They moved a little closer, thankfully being somewhat physical so that Frisk could hug them like an oversized teddy bear.

Mettaton couldn't help smiling at the sweet gesture. As soft spoken as his cousin was, Napstablook always meant well, and quite honestly, had a better time picking up on what to do to comfort someone…until they were crying. At that point, Napstablook was just as much at a lost as the next monster.

Grillby looked at the shivering spider as they continued to move. She had been moving slowly to begin with, and despite being up against the fire monster, she was still shivering in the cold, her body meant for much warmer places. And now, the snow was deeper, and she would only get slower until her body would simply refuse to move.

"Miss. Muffet…" Grillby started, getting her attention as he looked down at her. "This will only get more difficult—if I may…"

She tilted her head in confusion. "If you may what, Sir?" she questioned.

"…Perhaps it would be best…if I carried you from this point on."

"Sir, there's no need—I'm certain I can manage, I don't want to be any extra trouble—"

"You won't be…" he assured.

"Then…I…I su—suppose I will accept th—that offer…" She gave a soft gasping yelp of surprise as he scooped her up with ease, carrying her like a knight would carry a princess, and on instinct, four of her six arms wrapped around his neck, which was to her advantage due to the warmth of his flames, while her last pair of arms quickly covered her face, much to his surprise and confusion.

"…are you all right, Miss. Muffet?" he asked, taken only slightly by surprise of how light she was. Then again, bug monsters were a lot lighter than they looked, but Grillby knew he could easily hold her with one arm, and that if she had wanted to, she could sit on his shoulder without so much as bothering him. She was that light.

She nodded, slowly leaning against him. As flustered as she was, she was too cold to resist the heat source. Once Grillby was assured she was comfortable, he swiftly moved to catch up with the group that had gone ahead.

The trek was long as they navigated the woods, Dogamy taking point. It was an hour or so before they found a winding, zigzagging path that would lead down, and that took another hour, perhaps a bit more to traverse, the group being careful, as no one wanted to slide the whole way down. In fact, the path was so long that they nearly ending up traveling the length back toward Snowdin.

After reaching the bottom, they started trudging through the snow, with Muffet finding herself extra grateful for Grillby's offer, the snow going up to his knees, whereas it would have gone up to her chest. Gerson practically disappeared into it, but because of his shell, he was basically the snow plow for the group while Mettaton held Frisk up over his head as an extra precaution.

They stopped as they came upon a frozen lake, with Dogamy taking the lead once more, testing the ice's strength. In the center there was a mostly clear island, with only a few trees here and there. However, as always, the lake was frozen solid, and it would take great effort even from Grillby to make it a problem.

"We'll camp on the island," Dogamy replied. "We've still got a bit of trekking to do, and even if we got there, we'd be tired, and this lizard monster would probably be asleep."

Gerson nodded. "True enough. All right, whippersnappers, let's get over there." It only took a few minutes to cross the lake, albeit clumsily, as no one wanted to fall. Frisk drooped, remembering some silly stuff Papyrus had mentioned that inadvertently taught them a safe way across Snowdin. Monsters never attacked one another on the ice…perhaps that's why Dogamy was choosing an island surrounded by it.

Setting up camp was the easy part. Dogamy worked swiftly with Gerson in getting tents set up. The fire was handled by Grillby, after he set Muffet down on a large rock, draping his coat over her. Then, he and Frisk went around grabbing twigs and sticks, and branches, and Mettaton was even more useful, felling a tree swiftly, cutting it into logs. Grillby then took the wood, and put it in a pile with Frisk and Napstablook going around looking for rocks.

The two then created a ring of rocks around the fire, and once that was done, Grillby snapped his fingers; a fire ball about the size of a marble flew off his hand, and into the logs, effectively starting their campfire, which Muffet instantly got close too, while Flowey waited in his glass of soil, close enough to the fire to avoid freezing, but far enough away to avoid shriveling up.

With Mettaton hosting a cooking show, Frisk was only a bit surprise that he had picked out something that in a sense, complimented Grillby's and Muffet's cooking styles. In fact, it reminded Frisk of the human world. Water Sausages and Swamp Sweets. Or, to Frisk, Hot Dogs and Marshmallows.

It wasn't what the two usually made, but regardless, it was to Muffet's advantage, as Grillby put her wellbeing ahead of everything due to how harsh the cold was. So they sat by the fire, with him sitting almost directly next to her, letting his flames feel a little warmer as she snuggled into his coat that was still heated from his flames.

The marshmallows were finished first with everyone taking one, though Grillby hid light amusement when he saw Muffet stealthily sneak Frisk a second, somewhat spoiling the child, but with all things considered, Frisk had earned themselves some extra pampering. It took a little longer for Grillby, but due to his ability to control orange magic, they were done much faster than hot dogs normally would have been over a fire.

Mettaton had even brought plates, so eventually, everyone had two hot dogs each, with Dogamy sniffing at it, raising a brow at it first, before finally eating it. Mettaton and Napstablook were the only ones who didn't actually eat, as Ghost Monsters could go quite a while without any substance, especially Napstablook, and Mettaton, being a robot, would just need to recharge after this ended, though Alphys had thankfully made his battery last much longer before her demise.

Eventually, everyone ate, and Dogamy and Gerson went into their own tents, while Mettaton simply powered down, and Napstablook opted to watch the island from a tree as they listened to music. Frisk took Flowey, shuffling over to their tiny pup tent that Dogamy had a few extras of, though he hadn't stated why. Muffet had followed the child, gently tucking them into their sleeping bag, petting their head gently until the child drifted off as Flowey rested by the child's head, having fallen asleep while the others had ate.

Once she was sure the child was sound asleep, she stepped back out, and then looked from the fire, to the tent meant for her, hesitating, as she knew the tent would be colder than the fire, but the fire would eventually go out.

"When I find the wretched person who thought winter was a good idea…" she muttered.

Grillby surprised her when he softly chuckled. "The Ice Caps, Snowdrakes, and the Snowman would have to disagree with you, Miss. Muffet. They need the cold to survive just as much as you need the warmth of Hotlands to live comfortably."

"You're a fire monster, so you would survive there just fine. What made you decide on living in Snowdin?" Muffet asked curiously as she remained huddled up in his jacket.

He paused, thinking, and then shrugged. "…the city was crowded…there were a lot of businesses there…Snowdin is just a tiny village. I may not have many customers, but it's enough to keep things running…and in a small town like that…eventually everyone there is a customer…"

"Ah…" Muffet murmured, her breath causing little clouds to form in front of her as she shivered. "You're more localized…I suppose that could be rather nice."

"You don't have regular customers?" Grillby asked in confusion.

"No," Muffet murmured softly. "Not those that actually come in. Most of my business is done through orders, like with yours."

"I see…" Grillby said, leaning back to look up at the cavern ceiling. To think, that soon enough, the monsters down here would see a beautiful sky that would always change; from blue to dark indigo, from sunny days, and stormy nights. For now though, they would have to hold on a little longer with this deep prison of theirs now that their kingdom had fallen into uncertainty.

"…Miss. Muffet, while they brought the tent with good intentions, I do not think it'll keep a monster like you warm enough to last until they wake…"

"I c—could just stay by the fire," the spider monster murmured.

"…it'll eventually go out."

"I could keep it going," Muffet assured.

"…how do you plan to stay up all night?"

"Well…" She had that odd look on her face.

Grillby gently took her hand, his warmth seeping through her mitten to the point that he might as well have been directly touching her, though the warmth was welcomed. "…you'll freeze," he murmured. "You seem so cold despite how well dressed you are for this place."

"It's the downside of being a spider monster…" she mumbled.

"…perhaps I am…beating around the bush."

Muffet paused, and then looked to him in muddled confusion. "Then…what are you trying to say?"

"To be straightforward… You're going to freeze if you go into the tent… And you'll freeze when the campfire goes out…however…my flames won't go out…not that easily."

Muffet looked down, a little flustered. "W—well…"

"I do not mean to intrude on personal space…"

"I know you mean well, I'm just not use to contact…" She looked up shyly at the silent fire monster. "But…um…so that I don't freeze, I'll accept the kind offer, Sir…"

"Then…Miss. Muffet…may I have my coat back a moment?"

She nodded sheepishly, a little flustered, but then she consented.

With that, Grillby took the coat back and shifted his position, sitting back against one of the rocks that she had previously used as a chair while the others had worked. Then he gently picked up the small spider monster, setting her in his lap, before drawing his coat over her like a blanket.

"Are you going to be comfortable, Sir?" Muffet asked in concern, her shivering already dying down by being up against him.

Grillby nodded. "…Elementals have the advantage in that aspect…" Grillby wouldn't find himself too uncomfortable unless he came across water. Though he knew his body would protest in the morning, but he'd ignore it. Muffet would freeze if he didn't do this, and they both felt better with this if he stayed up right.

Eventually, the spider monster fell asleep, curling up a little to preserve the warmth as best as she could, with Grillby silently adjusting his coat to cover her head as well before he leaned back, his flames slowly dimming as he drifted off.

Deep in the valley, where the house stood; golden eyes peered out of the darkened doorway of the house in the middle of a snow field. The eyes narrowed, spotting the smoke of the campfire in the distance against the cave ceiling. There was a soft snake like hiss, and then the figure turned, vanishing fully, until something slim and black came forth, wrapping around the knob, and closing the door behind it.


	16. Don't you Miss Them

Frisk shut their eyes against the brightness, covering their face, willing it to go away, but the unrelenting light refused. They groaned, and slowly lowered their hands, waiting for their eyes to adjust, even with them closed, before slowly opening them. However, their eyes widened as they looked around in stunned alarm. In every direction, stretching to infinite was white.

Frisk wobbled slightly, feeling ground beneath them, but not seeing it. They caught their balance, listening intently. There was nothing at first, but then…they heard it. The soft clacking of keys on a computer reached their ears. The child frowned, looking around, before something seemed to emerge in the haze a bit away from them.

A messy desk, and sitting in a chair, was Alphys, typing quietly away. Frisk jerked, and then rushed over, calling for her, but she didn't seem to hear them. Yet, as Frisk came upon the scientist, reaching for her, a red slash went across the lizard. Frisk stared in stunned horror as Alphys jerked with a choked cry. Frisk lunged for her, but as they grabbed the lizard, she crumbled away into dust.

Frisk gave a choked gasp, unable to look away, as the area around them faded from white, to silver. However, they weren't given time to comprehend what was going on as they heard an enraged, and yet, heartbroken cry. They whipped around, only to fall back as they looked up to see Undyne in her battle armor, a spear in hand as she glared down at them. Frisk gasped as she swung her spear out, the point inches from Frisk's chest.

"She's dead," Undyne managed, her voice quivering. "Alphys is dead, Frisk! And for what!?" The fish monster snarled, drawing her spear back in preparation to attack. "You were supposed to fix it! You were supposed to bring her back! Why are you still here!?" It was then, that something seemed to break. "Why…why is it still like this?"

Frisk wanted nothing more than to hug Undyne, to apologize, to say something. Frisk knew it was their fault. They should have been able to go back, fix it all, so that they could all be alive and well again. They stood, cautiously moving toward her, but then, it happened again. The red slash came across her, and then, she too, crumbled away, the armor crashing to the ground, the eye patch suddenly falling into tatters as the place faded from silver, to a simple gray.

Shadows suddenly fell over Frisk, and the child turned to see Toriel and Asgore, looking weary, tired, and wounded. "Frisk…" Asgore murmured, towering over them. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Toriel looked to them in tears. "Why didn't you tell us that he had been our son? We could have helped him! We could have—we could have saved him!"

Frisk lowered their head, biting their lip as they quivered. They wanted to, but…would it have been worth it? To tell them that Flowey was their son, when they couldn't be sure that Asriel could ever be returned to them? How could they give them that hope that wouldn't be certainty? Asriel had obviously wanted to hide the fact from his parents…

Yet, even if Frisk could have found an answer, and it wouldn't have mattered. The red slash came again, and Toriel screamed in pain. Frisk jerked their head up, watching as Asgore caught her, staring in horror as she crumbled away in his arms. He whipped around to face what had attacked, but the slash came again, and he too crumbled away as the place turned to a dark gray.

Frisk heard something clattering and felt a chill race up their spine. It was behind them…they didn't want to look. "Frisk…" came his weary voice. Papyrus. They swallowed, and slowly turned, looking down at his skull. "…Frisk…reset, please…it hurts…" Shakily, they reached for him, but even with Papyrus, he crumbled away, leaving the world even darker now.

They drew their arms around themselves, shivering as they closed their eyes, trying to avoid crying, not wanting to do it here, or ever. However, something clenched their shoulders tight, and when they opened their eyes, they found Sans in front of them, battered, with a look of desperation in his eyes as he cried. "Kid…" he managed, sounding so broken. "What are you waiting for?" he asked, shaking. "Reset, Frisk…please…" Blood poured from his wound, flowing like a red river.

They whimpered, and the skeleton shook them roughly. "You have to reset!" he shouted, his fingers digging into them. "You have to save them! You have to save Papyrus! You said you could do it!" His pupils vanished. _**"Frisk!"**_ Then, without any warning, he too, crumbled to dust, and the world became the deepest, darkest, pitch black, and Frisk found themselves alone except for the dust scattered on and around them as tears flowed down their face.

Laughter suddenly filled the void, and Frisk felt a horrid chill. They looked up to see Chara, their body well, but their clothes were stained with the blood and dust of those they had slain. Chara smirked, striding forward, their menacing laughter echoing all around. "Look at you," they practically purred. "You can't even lift a finger to help your so called family…don't you miss them?" Their smirk broadened. "Don't you want them back…cause here they are."

Appearing around Chara, were six monster souls, floating silently. Frisk gasped, and ran forward, not thinking of Chara, only to get those souls away from that demonic being! Something slammed into Frisk full force, and knocked them down to the ground, before the blackness itself came alive, wrapping around them, pinning them down. They struggled, fighting with it, managing to stand as it wrapped around their limbs and their torso.

Chara smirked, coming forward with the helpless souls, a hand grabbing Frisk's hair, pulling on it roughly to force them to look up. Then, a soul floated above their free hand, a shimmer of orange racing across it. Frisk jerked, realizing that it was Papyrus's, and they struggled, trying to raise their hand to get him away from Chara.

The red-eyed child smirked, and then, without warning, closed their hand around the soul. Frisk could do nothing but watch as a spider web of cracks spread across it, and then it shattered. Frisk tried to scream, but a band of blackness came forth, coming over their mouth and muffling their cries.

"Don't be a fool!" Chara shouted with a maniacal laugh, before taking another soul and shattering it. "Do you really think you can bring monster souls back from the dead!?" Another one was shattered, only three left. "You really are an idiot!" Two. "If you couldn't stop them from dying." One. "What makes you think you can save them from death?" Frisk gave a muffled shriek of despair as Chara shattered the last of them, then, out of nowhere, Chara summoned their blade. "It would be easier, if you just followed after them in death!"

Frisk shut their eyes, bracing for pain, agony, and the familiar feeling of death clawing for their soul. There was a cry of pain…but it wasn't Frisk's. The child gasped as something plowed into them, knocking them onto their back, a set of small arms coming around them. Frisk looked up…to see Asriel…

Asriel's eyes were wide, his pupils nothing but pin pricks as he hugged Frisk, shuddering in pain. "And how much longer can you protect him?" Chara asked, before Asriel suddenly vanished into a flurry of beautiful yellow petals, but as they fell, they withered, and turned to dust, just like everything else. Frisk tried to cry out, struggling to move as the blackness firmly pinned them down.

Chara smirked, twirling their blade as they stood over the little human. "Now it's your turn." They raised their hand, and Frisk gave a jerk, gasping as their soul phased out of their chest and Chara held their blade to the hammering red heart. Then, they drove it home.

"Dearie! Dearie, wake up!" Hands shook Frisk before they jerked up right with a cry, and instantly, six arms drew them into a hug as Frisk sobbed, trying to grip onto what was happening to them. "Shh, dearie, it's all right." Looking up, they saw Muffet as she held them close. "You're safe. You're not in any danger, it was just a bad dream, and you're not hurt…" Muffet continued to reassure them as Frisk clung to her tightly, fisting her coat in their hands.

A light shone in behind them as Grillby knelt just outside the small tent. "Are they all right?" he asked, before Muffet held them with four of her arms and crawled back out with a soft little breath as she sat with them, drawing her spare arms back around them.

"I—I'm not certain—they were having a bad dream…"

"Oh no…" They looked up as Nastablook flew over. "It must have been really bad…oh no…"

"What's the racket?" Dogamy asked as he came out of his tent, bleary eyed, but swiftly becoming alert.

"Frisk had a nightmare," the fire monster explained.

"Oh, goodness," the canine murmured, kneeling down by the others as Frisk cuddled into Muffet as she held them tight. Gently, the canine reached out, petting their head. "It's over now, little pup."

Grillby was quiet, but he let his flames grow a little brighter, having learned a long time ago that if there was anything that comforted little children, it was the light he could emit, and, it seemed to do the trick as Frisk started to somewhat loosen their death grip, but they seemed determined to stay glued to Muffet.

He turned, looking around, and paused, before looking at the ghost. "…I'm surprised Mettaton didn't wake up from the racket…"

"Mettaton can't react until he powers up…it's a bit of an issue, but that's why he hasn't done anything…" Nastablook explained.

"And Gerson can be hard at hearing," Dogamy murmured. "But what of the flower?"

Nastablook floated into the tent to find that, somehow, Flowey had slept through the entire commotion, his head hanging low as he slept. Nastablook reported his finding to the others, before reluctantly going back up to the trees. Eventually, after the child had calmed down a bit, Dogamy returned to his tent, and as Muffet began to shiver again, Grillby took her back onto his lap.

When morning did finally come—though it was hard to tell, Frisk was sound asleep in Muffet's lap, and Muffet rested peacefully as Grillby held them both.

Muffet stirred slowly, two of her arms gently tightening their grasp on Frisk, who was curled up in a tight ball on her lap. Still somewhat asleep, she snuggled up against the heat source that was keeping her warm. However, her mind reluctantly reminded her that she had to wake up, despite how nice it'd be to stay put. She peeked an eye open, pausing as she tried to take in her blurry surroundings.

She opened her eyes one by one, blinking several times, before she realized that she had fallen asleep against the fire monster, her head resting on his chest as he leaned back against the rock and that she had practically been hugging him as she slept, instinctively absorbing as much heat as possible.

Now she wished she wasn't as dependent on that heat as she felt herself slowly go red, flustered and embarrassed. She turned her head, but a few of her eyes glanced to him. With those glasses, it was impossible to tell if he was awake or not, and if he was, whatever expression he was wearing would have been impossible to notice.

Instead, she decided to tend to the child, though she drew her hood back up, so that no one would see her currently burning red face. Oh, if she could curse this cold weather… Or be unlady like enough to give the lizard an earful for living out here. She looked to the slumbering child, her expression softening as she brushed their brown locks of hair gently. The poor thing. She and Grillby had been woken by their whimpering, and by the time they got over, the poor thing was screaming as they tossed around in their nightmare.

Now…they slept quietly, not making so much as a peep throughout the night as Muffet held them. However, that didn't ease the spider monster's mind. When they finally got answers…well, then what? Most likely, it'd be a dead end, and how would this child finally accept that? They were too tender-hearted to have this fate, and Muffet knew that if this was just another dead end…then Frisk's soul would be crushed by their own world falling apart on top of them.

The child stirred, and grabbed her, snuggling into her, bringing a soft, albeit sad smile as she continued to pet their head. "It's okay, Dearie, you just continue sleeping. The world can wait a little for you…"

"…I see you're awake, Miss. Muffet."

The spider monster perked in surprise, turning slightly to look at the fire monster. "Apologies, Sir. Did I wake you?"

His flames seemed to glow a bit brighter as he shook his head. "Not at all…I've been drifting in and out and just chose not to wake you…"

She slowly turned, her blush returning. He saw, didn't he!? Grillby tilted his head. "Is something the matter, Miss. Muffet?"

"No," she managed. "Just waking up still…how much longer do you think we can let them sleep?"

Grillby's fire seemed to soften somehow. "…I'm sure they can at least sleep until we have something of a meal ready for them…"

"Then, let's do that," she suggested quietly.

He gave a quiet hum of agreement, and the three stayed basically as they were for an hour before Dogamy came out, and Mettaton powered back up, though it was a little longer before the old turtle emerged. Once they were all awake, Nastablook flew on down, and Muffet volunteered doing breakfast.

She got up, gently handing Frisk over to Grillby, the child now drifting in and out of sleep, and with her magic, and a bit of aid from Grillby's fire magic, she made a decent croissant for everyone who could eat—with the child waking when she was almost done, and requesting one more. Once Frisk had two croissants on their plate, they got Flowey out of their tent, and went to the other end of the little island, wanting some time alone with him.

Flowey stirred as Frisk held the food in front of him. Sleepily, he opened his eyes, looking at what Frisk had to offer. He blinked a few times, and then leaned forward, taking the smallest nibble, swallowing. "Morning…" he mumbled sleepily.

Frisk frowned in concern, before asking if he was all right.

The flower looked up, raising a brow. "Why are you asking that?" he asked.

They quickly pointed out that while he was the first to fall asleep, he was the last one to wake up, and that he had slept through a bit of a commotion—though they didn't detail what it had been, and then he was only eating in nibbles. Flowey breathed out. "Yesterday was rough," Flowey said, waving them off with a leaf. "And absorbing souls can be draining, plus, I took three…I think it's three?" He shrugged. "Not sure if that actually counted as three."

Frisk wasn't too convinced as they held the meal in front of him, silently demanding him to take another bite. Flowey huffed, and quietly took another nibble, slowly forcing himself to swallow. The food might have been good, but Flowey was admittedly feeling under the weather. It seemed to slowly go down, as if it wanted to choke him. The flower looked reluctantly at the croissant, realizing that he had a while to go before it was all gone, and he didn't feel like eating it.

The human made an odd sound of concern, taking small quick bites of the sweet breakfast. It wasn't perfect breakfast material, but it was food, and that was what mattered, but by the time Frisk finally ate theirs, Flowey was barely halfway done nibbling through his, and actually looked a little sick. "Frisk, I'm not hungry now," he assured. "I'm a flower; I don't need much in the way with food. Just water, soil, and sunshine, really." That was a partial lie. Food could sustain him just as well, but at the moment, Flowey wished he could just sunbathe.

Frisk once more questioned if there was something wrong, but Flowey waved them off, looking to them, his face morphed partially to that of Asriel. "I'll be fine," he insisted. "I've absorbed more souls than this and I was fine." However, he had never absorbed something so demonic that it could barely be called a soul anymore.

The child silently glared down at him, obviously not believing him, but Flowey put up a front, turning away, and folding his leaves stubbornly, knowing that if he acted stubborn enough, Frisk would assume he was okay. And it worked…eventually. Frisk grumbled at him, and then ate the other half of his breakfast so that it didn't go to waste.

Flowey inwardly sighed in relief. The child had enough problems and worries on their hands with this crazy adventure they threw everyone into with the vain hope of saving lives that were already lost. They didn't need to worry about him as well. He was fine. If he could survive getting his roots handed to him several times over, then this would be nothing at all. He'd just have to sit tight until he could figure out something for the excess souls he carried within him.

While everyone else ate, Mettaton worked swiftly to pack up everything, and once that was done; they set off again, with Grillby carrying Muffet, and Frisk carrying Flowey…with Mettaton swiftly scooping them up again, and Nastablook hitching a ride to settle down next to the child. Dogamy took point alongside Gerson due to how he could automatically snow plow a trail for the others.

They were a bit ahead of the group with Gerson grumbling at the snow that he forced out of his way. Dogamy looked around, his ears perked as he listened for potential danger. However, as they continued, he gave a worried hum. "Gerson…do you really think they'll find what they're after?"

"Who knows," Gerson replied as he kept trudging through the nearly shoulder high snow to him. "They might find nothing…they might find what they're after…or something else entirely."

"And your opinion?" Dogamy asked.

"Well, I'd like to believe our souls do go somewhere after death," Gerson replied. "So I'm hoping we find something at least."

"And if we do somehow find such a place…do you really think the child will get what they seek?"

The turtle glanced back to the group, and then slowly eyed Dogamy. "…no…I don't think they will. Even if we found them, Dogamy…what are we going to do? Their bodies are dust, and we may not even be able to bring them back from wherever they are."

Dogamy breathed out softly, and shook his head. "The child is rather stubborn, to say the least…"

"That they are," Gerson agreed. "Heh…" He looked up, a slight smile on his face, his eyes alit with knowledge. "I know stubbornness like that. It won't matter none if there is no way to bring them back…they'll just ignore it all and still do it somehow."

"Should we be worried?"

"Nah, not in that aspect. They're grieving, but they're a good kid. We just have to make sure that if it doesn't work, to keep an eye on them. Don't ever trust souls alone with their grief." His eyes dimmed in sorrowful recollection. "Never," he stated firmly. "People don't think straight when they grieve. They will lash out, become shells of themselves… …or do something cowardly."

Dogamy knew what that meant as he glanced back. "Do you really think…?"

"I hope not, but I'm not an expert on humans like that kid," Gerson replied. "And I don't want to believe it could happen to them but…why would any human come to a mountain that should be the home of their enemies?"

Dogamy mentally paused at that, and as he thought it over, he cast another glance to the quiet human. Could they have really been…? "But then, why try getting back out?"

Gerson shrugged. "One soul's kindness could bring back someone's will to keep trying. You'd be surprised sometimes, what a little kindness can do."

"Then do we worry, or do we not?"

"We worry until they can smile again... _truly_ smile again. There's a difference."

After that, the journey was done mostly in silence, with only a bit of small talk amongst the other four, as Flowey and Frisk had dozed off. Eventually though, they stopped at the edge of a tree line. "We're here," Dogamy said simply. Frisk raised their head, looking across a snow field to where a house stood next to a small cluster of trees.

They made their way across, but Frisk insisted on being put down, and they marched over to the door with Flowey. They took a deep breath, and then knocked several times. There was silence…and then, the door creaked open, and golden eyes peered down at them.


	17. Let the Dead Lie

**The name 'Siba' is pronounced like 'Simba' but without the 'M'.**

 **Siba is technically 0.1% canon, but otherwise, he belongs to me.**

* * *

There was a quiet pause, and then the door creaked open fully, revealing the creature. The monster was a black lizard as Bob had described, with golden eyes. He looked at the child with the flower, and then up at the group, quietly studying all of them. The lizard had a strange attire that reminded Frisk of something humans would have worn in the desert. In short, the lizard was mostly covered in the warm clothing. In fact the only bit of his head that they could see was just his eyes and his snout, the top of his head covered, just like the rest of him.

He quietly frowned as he surveyed the situation, and then shook his head, before finally speaking. "I can guess why so many would come down here into a forest." He spoke softly, in a whispering rasp. "Which is the one with the questions? I can't have all of you in my house at once, it's too small." He seemed annoyed, but dealing with the hand he was dealt.

"It would be the child that came for you," Dogamy said as he stepped forth. "But please allow the flower, the spider, and the turtle in as well; they don't fare well in the cold. The rest of us should be fine for a while."

The lizard glanced at the child, eyes narrowing at the flower, before he looked up again, to see Muffet shivering in Grillby's hold, and while Gerson was being tough, the cold wasn't good for him either. "Hrrmph…all right," he said, opening the door fully. "They can come in," he said, before turning away, revealing a long tail that Frisk only saw for a brief second, and it was so quick, but there seemed to be something…different about it.

However, their concern was the location of the Abyss, so they pushed their curiosity aside as they stepped into the house that was lit by several lamps. However, somewhat to their surprise, the house was quite cluttered. Not with junk though, books were literally everywhere. In bookshelves to the brim, and when the lizard had ran out of space there, he had simply began making towers of books with some having questionable balance.

Frisk stepped in with Flowey tiredly looking up, not even raising his head as Frisk warily navigated, not wanting to knock anything over. Gerson followed them in next, quickly forced to side step due to his shell earning him extra width. Grillby went to follow, but due to the narrow passage, he was forced to set Muffet down in the entryway. "Forgive me, Miss. Muffet. We'd certainly knock something over if I tried to carry you in."

"N—no fault of yours, Sir," she assured. "Thank you, regardless." With that, she slipped in fully, her small figure giving her the advantage within the cluttered house. Grillby watched her, and then shut the door, before heading back over to Dogamy and the cousins.

Frisk watched the lizard as he moved, seemingly drifting almost, and navigating with ease, to a desk on one side of the room. It too, was covered and surrounded by books, but there was a bit of writing space to work with, and currently, a partially written scroll was sitting there, with a quill resting inside a small bottle of ink. Looking about the house, Frisk noticed that there seemed to be vast differences in what he had.

From the quill and ink, to the candles and light-bulbs, to an old ceiling fan, and what looked like a high-tech heater on the floor… Frisk raised a brow as they also caught sight of an old, tiny TV, the kind with the ridiculously sized antennas on top. The house was an odd blend of technology somehow finding harmony. The golden lighting to the place gave it an odd vibe as well, though Frisk couldn't quite put a name to it.

Old sounded to the point, and Ancient…sounded far too dramatic. The aura, as Frisk could best put it, was as if they had taken a slight step back in time. They took their gaze back up as the lizard slipped behind the desk, with Frisk coming to the front of it. They set Flowey down on a small stack of books, and jumped with a grunt, catching themselves on the surface of the desk so that they could see him.

Their gaze went to the scroll though, and they turned their head to the side, trying to read the currently upside down writing. The lizard gave a snort of mild amusement, and turned it so that they could read it.

 _'Fluttering onwards,_

 _The bird flew through the rainbow,_

 _And found a treasure.'_

Frisk made a sound of questioning, and the lizard rolled his eyes with a little bit of a smirk on his face. "It's just a haiku, I write for fun sometimes. You caught me in the middle of it. I plan to add more." Frisk knew that for a fact, as the ink was still wet. With the child seemingly satisfied with that, the lizard turned it around again, and then looked up to his other guests. "Take a seat wherever you like—even the books. I don't expect guests, so I'm afraid I have nothing to offer."

"No need," Gerson replied. "We're the ones that came unannounced." He looked around, and then simply decided to stay standing, whereas Muffet lucked out with finding several stacks of books with similar height, and perched on that.

"Heh, should have known though," the lizard murmured. "I've been directed to a few times at this point because I like to collect information, and then I end up being the only one with all of it…might as well donate to the library if it keeps visitors off my doorstep."

"We apologize for the inconvenience, Sir," Muffet stated, dropping into pure manners. He had already seemed irked, so if they wanted information, buttering him up would do some good.

The lizard shrugged. "No need for pleasantries. The name is Siba, plain and simple."

"Then, Siba," Gerson said as he raised his head. "Frisk," he said, motioning to the child. "Came here to ask you some questions after we were directed to you by a Temmie." The lizard perked, a slight smile coming to his face at the mention of the strange monster breed.

"A Temmie, hmm?" he asked, and then chuckled. "I suppose I can be a bit more forgiving."

Muffet tilted her head. "Why is that?" she asked.

He waved her off. "Nothing of grand importance. I'm just on good terms with a few of them, and if they were to send you to me, then there must be something of a good reason." Flowey would have begged to differ if he had been feeling up to it. He was certain that any other Temmie aside from Bob would have either forgotten him, or would send people to him with the smallest of problems.

"So," the lizard murmured, reaching forward, and grabbing Frisk by the scruff of their shirt, his hands reptilian, and ending with razor sharp ebony claws that were even darker than his scales. However, Frisk went scratch free as they were hoisted fully onto the top of the desk. The child went cross legged, looking up at him as he released their shirt, and folded his arms as he leaned back in his seat.

"What is it that you wanted to ask me?" Siba asked. "You had to go out of your way to find out about me, and then come trekking down here to find me. So what has brought a child like you—human no less—to a monster hermit like me?"

The child folded their arms, their plain expression finally hinting at seriousness before they took a deep breath, and began explaining to the hermit of the events that had occurred.

* * *

"Hmm," Mettaton murmured as he sat on top of a rock in the cluster of trees cross-legged. His chin rested on his hand, the elbow on his knee while his other hand tapped a rhythm on his other leg.

"Is something on your mind, Mettaton?" The robot looked up to see Napstablook floating quietly in front of him.

"Hmm?" he questioned the sound changing in tone, before he shook his head. "Not really, I suppose. I was just wondering…"

"…then something's on your mind…" Despite their voice remaining soft as always, Mettaton swore he heard the faintest sound of amusement in their words.

Mettaton laughed softly. "All right, Blooky, you got me, maybe there is."

"…do you wanna talk about it…?" Napstablook asked as they settled to hovering beside Mettaton, as if they might have been sitting.

The robot shrugged. "It's of no worry, Blooky, it's just my curiosity." The ghost quietly looked to him. Mettaton huffed with slight amusement. "Fine, I'll spill. I just…don't understand that way of living."

"You mean with the hermit…?" Napstablook questioned.

"Yes, I just…" Mettaton tossed his arms up dramatically, something that always amused Napstablook, and now they were trying desperately to avoid laughing. "I don't get it!" he exclaimed quietly. "How can you live away from everyone like this, and be satisfied with it?"

"No one said he was satisfied…but…" The ghost looked away. "If he is, I can understand…"

Mettaton blinked, and looked to the ghost. "Blooky…?"

"Being away from people…? I'd like that sometimes," Napstablook admitted. "It's really hard to be in a society where you're supposed to be so expressive…if you're quiet, or shy, or just like to keep to yourself…you're instantly thought of as different. Extroverts like you flourish here, but, if you're a bit of an introvert…it makes sense."

"Getting away from people…you don't have to listen to their judgements, you can have some peace and quiet all to yourself, and only be called out when needed, after all…it would work for me…as a ghost with no corporal form." Mettaton knew what Napstablook meant by that. Peer pressure. A ghost Napstablook's age should have had found a physical form long ago, but Mettaton had been in a similar boat.

"Do you wish you could live alone then?" the robot asked neutrally. One thing the cousins had learned was to always be neutral opinionated to each other's decisions unless there was something inherently wrong, or obviously good about them. So while Mettaton was curious, he was not about to cast judgement on the ghost.

"…not like him…" Napstablook turned with a smile. "It can be really hard sometimes, but…I like living where I do. Cause it's up where I have the choice to see or not to see others…and…I get to live next door with my favorite cousin."

Mettaton smiled and drew the ghost over into a warm intended embrace. "Glad I'm still the favorite cousin, Blooky. You're my favorite, too."

"Ohhhhh….." Napstablook mumbled sheepishly, becoming slightly more transparent as they snuggled into the robot.

The robot's smile broadened. "And don't ever worry about that, Blooky. Even if the rest of the family might complain, I won't. If you don't ever want to be corporal, that's completely fine by me. I'll be behind you one hundred percent. And if you ever did find a form that would suit you, I'll be there to help you get it. I promise this time."

"Ohhhh nooo…." Flustered, Napstablook faded completely out of Mettaton's arms.

Mettaton shook his head. "Blooky!" he laughed. "We've talked about this!"

"I'm sorry…" Looking up, he found the ghost poking its head through a tree trunk. "I don't do well with speech like that…I get all weird, I'm sorry, that sounds really rude, that's not how I mean it…"

He smiled. "I know how you mean it. Now, can you come back and keep me company without pulling another magic trick? I've been getting ideas for a new show, and I'd like your opinion on them."

"O…okay…" Napstablook managed with a soft smile, before flying back over.

* * *

While the ghost and his cousin talked and debated over things, Grillby and Dogamy leaned against a tree, with Grillby standing with a foot against the trunk, arms folded, and head down, his flames moving calmly and silently. Dogamy glanced to him, eyeing him. "Are you worried?"

"A little," Grillby murmured. "Not of what's in that house though."

"True, I don't think that lizard monster means any harm, but…"

"I have a feeling that Frisk is going to hit their dead end soon," the fire monster stated. "And when that happens, I'm not quite sure what we're going to do. Anger is a dangerous stage in grief, and I assure you, I never look forward to it, it's my least favorite part."

"I've been there to see why." Being a constant patron of Grillby's, Dogamy had seen some of the customers in their fits of anger. Some could be calmed and soothed…sometimes Grillby would have to intervene. The fire monster wasn't a true fighter in the sense that most monsters were, but if he felt he had to remove someone from his bar, then good lords did he remove them.

"I don't know what Frisk is hoping to find," Grillby murmured. "They're grasping at straws."

Dogamy nodded. "I know. Gerson said it earlier that even if we found something, we can't change that their bodies are dust."

"Then my question remains," the fire monster said. "If we can't do anything, why do they insist on pursuing it?"

The dog shrugged helplessly. "Gerson said that they're just the type to try until they make a way, if they can't find one, more or less."

"I'm beginning to see what Sans meant about that…" Grillby murmured quietly.

"Hmm?" the dog questioned in confusion.

"A bit before this whole mess started, but after the barrier broke," Grillby started. "Sans had come in for dinner a bit late due to some hectic things going on, so I let him stay after closing. He was in a talkative mood—outside of cracking puns till he got kicked out—and he decided to spend that energy talking about Frisk."

"Sans—not cracking puns?" Dogamy asked in a light attempt at humor. "You sure that was your number one customer?"

Grillby's flames crackled slightly, but Dogamy knew him well enough to know it was a sign of laughter, and sure enough, there was a soft huff of amusement afterwards. "Believe it or not, he can go without making a pun when he really wants to."

"…which is never."

"Exactly. So for him to not be saying any at all had me concerned, so we talked…" Grillby was quiet for a bit, thinking things over. "He talked about Frisk, and how things were settling in. He mentioned it wouldn't make sense to me, but he wanted to talk it out anyways, knowing I wouldn't be too bothered as I deal with that sort of thing. Drunkards don't always make sense." Grillby shrugged, before continuing.

"He went on about Frisk, how they survived down here, despite everyone after their soul. And Sans repeated this one word over and over, as if it had more value than anything else he was saying. Determination. He said that was what got them through the whole ordeal. I didn't think much of it, but now, seeing them. I realized what he meant. They don't let anything stop them…and I think that even when they find a dead-end, they'll do something that we don't understand, and keep fighting."

"That's worrisome, I'd think," Dogamy murmured.

"It is. It'd be like banging your head against the wall in hopes of it changing something. If Frisk finds that dead-end, they're going to do everything they can possibly think of to break it, and if they're as stubborn as Sans put it, we may not get them to stop."

Dogamy lowered his gaze, his eyes narrowing a little. "Then let's hope we find something to soothe them at the very least."

"Indeed. If we really do find the souls…then maybe they can be satisfied with a goodbye if we truly can't save them."

Dogamy nodded, knowing that they had to prepare for the most likely way this would all go down. Inside the house though, the lizard quietly tapped away at his desk with his claws. "In short, you want to know where the Abyss is…so that you can tamper with fate." Frisk stared stubbornly, while he shook his head. "Child, death is not something to trifle with. Let the dead lie."

"You can tell them that," Gerson replied. "It's not going to change their mind."

"Do you really think going to a place like the Abyss is even remotely a good idea?" the lizard asked, eyes narrowing. "You are on a fool's quest. You can't change something like that." Frisk stood their ground on it though, continuously insisting. Siba folded his arms again, glaring at the child, while they stared back. Muffet and Gerson raised a brow at one another as the two went at it for a few minutes.

The lizard gave an irritated growl, but then, his expression changed, as if something clicked. Then he huffed, a slight smile coming to him. "You know, telling you _how_ to get to the Abyss won't harm anything."

Muffet jerked her head up in surprise. "Then you're really going to…?"

The lizard nodded. "I'll tell you where it is." He suddenly raised a hand, one clawed finger up. "But. Nothing more. It is not for us to trifle with things like death itself." With that, he murmured something into Frisk's ear. Once they heard it, they were off the desk, grabbing Flowey and tearing toward the door.

"Kid, would you slow down!" Gerson complained, trudging after them. Muffet paused, and then glanced to the lizard.

"Will they find them?"

The lizard gave a careless shrug. "I only told them where to go, little spider." He looked to her oddly. "And I only give facts. I don't make promises of what they will find. Honestly, if you get them to quit now, you'll do them a favor."

The spider monster frowned. "They didn't come this far to give up," she said before standing. "Thank you for your time."

Siba watched them go, his eyes narrowing. "They'll have to give up soon enough, like it or not," he muttered to himself.


	18. Vain Attempts

The trip back was uneventful really, with Grillby carrying the poor spider, and Mettaton carrying Frisk and Flowey. When they got back to Snowdin, Dogamy advised for everyone to get some rest, as no one knew what was going to happen come tomorrow. No one argued, and with that, Dogamy departed, heading home, while the rest went to the river, with Gerson slipping into the water, and the cousins floating above it.

Grillby set Muffet down, before stepping onto the boat, and helping her on while Frisk held Flowey. When the River Person took them to Hotlands, Grillby stepped off the boat, being the gentleman as always as he offered a hand to Muffet; she took it, stepping daintily off. "Thank you," she said. "You should probably head home, Sir. Get some rest."

"If you're certain you'll be all right, Miss. Muffet."

She gave a quick nod. "The temperature is fine for me here," she stated. "And with the elevators, I don't need to walk far." Grillby nodded, stepping back onto the boat, and while Mettaton, Napstablook, and even Gerson got off at the Hotlands stop as well. Grillby raised a brow while Napstablook turned.

"Mettaton and I need to go to the lab so he can recharge," Napstablook explained. "So we have to go there before we go home."

"And I'm going to be watching the kid," Gerson explained. "Dogamy needs to get back to his wife before she does bop him over the head for being gone so long and now's not the time for him to watch for a little one." Besides, Gerson didn't say it, but he had more than one reason to go with Frisk.

Grillby nodded slowly. "Then take care, until we meet again."

Muffet glanced to all of them. "I know we didn't state anything aloud, but have we all agreed basically?"

They dipped their heads in silent confirmation. They would journey with Frisk. For one reason or another. "Then we'll see each other soon," Gerson said, before gently nudging Frisk along.

The others went away from the river, with Muffet removing her coat so that she wouldn't be too hot, even slipping off her mittens. The cousins bid fare well to the group, heading for the lab, whereas Muffet stayed for the elevator ride, and then they parted ways at the stairs to the MTT resort, as she finally returned to her parlor.

Gerson trudged along with Frisk as they carried Flowey, going through the resort and taking all the elevators all the way to the castle, and returning to the home. Frisk looked tiredly at it. Had it really been the other morning? They looked to the living room, still covered in pillows and blankets. The house had been untouched since then.

The turtle monster looked at the blankets. "Well, guess I found where I'm staying tonight. Can't leave a kid like you alone in here. Now go get ready for bed, I'll make you some Sea Tea." He knew Asgore would have left some ingredients there, as they talked from time to time, and once in a while, he purchased the ingredients from the turtle to use at his home.

Frisk entered their room, looking at it silently, glancing to the bed that would be Asriel's. Then, they quietly set Flowey on it, petting his head in concern as he continued to keep his head down, having dozed most of the day. Something seemed wrong, but Frisk wasn't sure what was causing him to be so drowsy. Perhaps it had been the cold weather, and he'd feel better in the morning.

* * *

Down in the lab, Mettaton sat on Alphy's work table, quietly looking at everything around him. The poster on the wall was gone, having been taken for her funeral. His own poster was still there, but he didn't care about that. He looked at the room, still able to see Alphys living there. He could see her pulling out books from her shelves, getting herself yogurt from her machine, or searching through her closet, trying to find her cleanest lab coat for the day.

Mettaton leaned back, closing his eyes. He could almost hear her watching that anime of hers with that horribly catchy tune. He didn't even realize that he had started to hum it, and even move his head to it. It was then that he felt something press against his back. He turned, seeing that Napstablook had found the cord connected to the generator that charged Mettaton, and connected it. Napstablook raised their head, looking at the battery gauge just above it.

"Oh no…you got really low, Mettaton, it's a good thing we got back when we did…" The robot nodded, but the ghost fidgeted nervously. "Mettaton, that was a two day trip basically…we might be down in the Abyss longer…how are you going to last? Especially when we don't know what's in there…"

"I'm not sure," Mettaton murmured. "I suppose we'll need to find a way to carry energy with me…"

"Don't you have extra batteries?"

The robot frowned, thinking. "She has to have more than one, I would think…" Mettaton glanced about. "I'm just not sure where…"

Napstablook looked at the mess of blueprints for Mettaton, finally seeing what the battery was supposed to look like. "O…okay, you stay put and recharge, I'll see if I can find anything." Then they phased out of sight, leaving Mettaton alone with his thoughts again.

To think, Alphys had hidden away such a major secret from him. That below this lab laid another, one dark from her trying to hide away everything. The Amalgamates...her vain attempts to save them…Mettaton wished she had trusted somebody.

Mettaton turned, looking to the poster of him again; a bit of a frown coming to him. He wished he could go back in time with what he knew, and aid her with the Amalgamates, instead of nearly forgetting about her and his cousin as his dreams came to light. "Alphys…" he murmured.

He looked down at his hands. Her creation. He slowly closed them. Well, in a sense, she had given him life. And he wanted to make up for everything—the way he had treated her—the lost time… Well, if he can save her from death, then it would be a perfect fit, but not where he'd stop. He would find her, and fix everything. "Wherever you are," he murmured quietly. "We'll find you."

"Mettaton!" Napstablook soared through the floor, looking to him eagerly, a battery in their grasp. "I found a whole bunch—between the two of us, we could bring a lot!" Due to them both having cell phones, they had dimensional boxes, just like Frisk did, meaning that they just found a way to keep Mettaton going for a good long while down in the Abyss, even if he had to drain energy with fighting.

Mettaton blinked, looking at Napstablook. One thing Napstablook was exceptionally good at was phasing with physical items. It took energy out of a ghost, but the more magic something had, the less energy it took, meaning Napstablook could phase monsters with ease, but an inanimate object would be more taxing. Still, it was useful.

Napstablook smiled in relief. "After you recharge, we can go get them all," they assured the robot.

* * *

Frisk sat on their bed, activating their dimensional boxes, sorting through things. After Gerson had made Sea Tea, Frisk had emptied out the boxes into the toy box and had asked to go to MTT resort. Once there, they had bought all the Starfaits they could stuff into their dimensional boxes and main inventory and then left only two slots open.

When they got back home, Frisk frowned at the untouched food in front of Flowey, and once they were alone, Frisk shuffled around in the toy box, pausing when their hand found the new stick Papyrus had found. It had looked similar to theirs, aside from a few extra twigs, which Papyrus had removed, and smoothed the edges to look almost exactly like their old one.

They equipped the stick as their go-to weapon, and then rummaged around; finding a small box of Band-Aids Toriel had given them after they broke the barrier. They paused, and then put it into their pocket. Then, Frisk went to the dresser, picking up the two presents, and opening them. The locket… Frisk traced their fingers over it, and then put it into their readied inventory. Then…

They grabbed the worn dagger, their hand shaking as they held such a dangerous weapon. Frisk wasn't the violent type, but…their expression hardened. For their family, they would stand against whatever came in their way. They wouldn't ever seek to kill, but Frisk wanted to be prepared, due to how fighting Asgore and Flowey had gone.

Frisk clutched the weapon tight, the blade trembling about in the air, before they hastily shoved it beside the locket, hoping they wouldn't actually have to use it, but Frisk wasn't about to go without a backup plan, remembering how Chara was able to ruin their stick when they smashed down on the other child.

The child shuddered, wrapping their arms around themselves, feeling a chill that wasn't really there. Their fingers stroked the scarf that they had kept on despite it all, but they quickly went and grabbed Sans's hoodie, feeling scared and wanting what was left of the brothers' presence to soothe them.

Somehow, it worked. Frisk sighed, huddling in the hoodie as they sat on the bed. Frisk knew where they had to go, but still, it may not work, and that idea terrified them. They couldn't let this be the reality of this timeline! How was Frisk supposed to exist in this one with everyone gone!? All they technically had left was the vain hope that Asriel could be returned, but with his parents gone…

It wasn't going to happen.

Frisk kicked off their shoes, and then crawled under the covers, casting a worried glance to the sleeping flower, who's only sign of life was the slight bob of his head when he breathed, but it hanged so low.

The child drew the covers fully over them, their head resting on the pillow. They could go alone, they've done things like this before without their normal friends, they could do it without the others either. It wasn't out of selfishness, but Frisk didn't want them to come. With the reset not working correctly, Frisk wasn't sure if they could save them if something went wrong.

So it was settled, they'd sleep for a bit, and then sneak out later on in the night, when Gerson would certainly be asleep. After all, Frisk hadn't stated where they had to go; only they heard what the lizard had said…it'd be for the best.

* * *

Down in Hotlands, Muffet gave a relaxed sigh as she tied her hair back up. After getting home, she had cleaned up, her hair still glistening a little from the warm shower. However, it wasn't time to rest yet as she slipped into the kitchen, clapping her hands to a rhythm. Soon, coming out from all sorts of hiding places, were the little spiders that lived in the Underground.

"Little dearies," she said, leaning forward a little, two hands on her knees. "Something's come up. We need to fill instant inventory and two dimensional boxes with goods…" A serious look came to her. "I have to go somewhere, and we'll need all we can get, as I don't know when I'll come back." The spiders were worried, looking at each other, but then bobbed in agreement.

"Thank you, dearies, and…while I'm gone, can I entrust the parlor and Cupcake to you?" She smiled in relief as they bobbed along in their form of an affirmative. "Then let us get started," she said, moving to the farthest counter where there was a CD player. She pressed play, and music began. Out of habit, she clapped to it as the instruments started, and then practically danced back to the other side, opening cupboards as they set to work.

Hours flew, work pausing only when the music did, as Muffet practically danced around the kitchen, constantly moving via spins, turns, and twirls, always moving, never stopping. When they couldn't do anything when things cooked, she either clapped, or sung to whatever song happened to be playing. Her voice was soft and clear as she sang or hummed the words, her energy and ability to move back now that she was in the warmth of Hotlands.

The spiders were just as lively with Muffet back, all of them skittering around, working together in teams to help make the doughnuts and croissants that they were known for, while another team on the other side of the kitchen worked on preparing Spider Cider. Muffet would dance around when she wasn't busy, making sure that they didn't need any help.

Cupcake poked his head in later on, and shuffled over, making soft whine-like sounds. Muffet smiled down at him, and patted his head, before feeding him a doughnut, and taking the pitcher of Spider Cider, dancing carefully over to his food dish, and pouring the cider into it, which he swiftly lapped up.

"There you go, my pet, drink up," she said, and sure enough, she was on the move again, setting down the pitcher, and heading back over to the other spiders, her movement never ceasing as she worked. She was at it for quite some time after that, but at long last, they filled their quota. They had enough for Muffet to take and then some for the spiders to start with once they ran the parlor without her.

"Thank you, my little dearies," Muffet told the spiders sweetly as she let the song end, before turning the CD player off, stifling a little yawn. "Now, go and get some rest, sweeties, have good dreams. Good night, dearies." With that, she retreated through her home, with Cupcake clumsily following her into her room, going over to his bed. She went over, petting him affectionately, before she started to turn in, as tomorrow would be just as hectic, regardless if they went to the Abyss or not, though she assumed most would want at least one full day to get ready.

* * *

Back at the Royal's Home, Frisk stirred, and woke up. It was time to get a move on while everyone was asleep. Frisk took their phone, wanting to check they had everything. They went through their dimensional boxes, and then closed out of them, pausing after they did so, to stare at the phone numbers they had. After the whole event with breaking the barrier, Frisk had gotten their friend's numbers, and demanded they all leave voice messages.

They paused, and then drooped, before calling Alphys's number first. Frisk waited through the creative rings of an anime theme, before finally, there was a click. "Hi! Alphys here~ Or—not exactly, I wasn't able to reach the phone for any number of reasons, so please call back—or leave a message!"

Frisk ended the call. Leaving a message wouldn't do anything, but hearing them again would fill them with determination, and that was what Frisk needed. So, they called Undyne, knowing to hold the phone away from their ear. "Sorry!" Undyne shouted. "Can't reach the phone! Probably busy capturing someone—or putting a fire out! Anyways, leave a message, punk, I'll call you back!"

Frisk shook their head, a light smile coming to them. Then, they called Asgore's, as they finally coaxed him into getting one. "Hello…?" came the slightly confused voice. "Apologies, I prefer talking face to face, but if you feel the need to reach me, please leave a message, or call later."

Then, they swiftly called Toriel's. "Hello," came Toriel's soft voice. "Apologies, but it appeared that I couldn't pick up the phone, I believe when this happens, you need to leave a message, or call me back. I hope that makes sense, I'm not good with this new technology."

The next one they called was Sans. "Hey, couldn't reach the phone…possibly because I couldn't be bothered—just kidding, most likely because I didn't hear it, or was somehow too busy to pick it up. I guess you could say I was… _called_ away. I'll just have to _tele_ you later when we get in _contact_ …so please don't get all _dialed up_ about it. Hey if you can think up better puns, I'd love to hear them." There was a chuckle. "Sorry, Pap…not sorry."

Frisk smiled ever so slightly at hearing him. The puns were horrible, but there wasn't much pun worthy material when it came to phones, but good lord did he try. Then, Frisk called Papyrus. It rang, rang, and rang, all the way to the last possible ring a monster could have set their phone to make. "If you're hearing this message, then something really big must have come up, as I always pick up the phone! Either that, or something is very, very, wrong, and very, very, swiftly need to be fixed! Do not fear, the Great Papyrus is on the case—eh—most likely! As the case has not happened when I made this recording! Goodbye for now!"

The child drooped. Something did go wrong…but they were going to fix it. They closed the phone and slipped out of bed fully, going over to Flowey. The food was still uneaten. They patted his head gently, and then headed for the door. Frisk creaked the door open slowly and slipped out, closing it behind them. Then, they hurried softly down the hall, carrying their shoes so that they hurried in their socks, making less noise.

They turned to the door, only to pause abruptly when they found Gerson in the way. He was asleep sitting on a moved mattress, with propped up pillows for him to lean on. However, his back was pressed against the door as he slept, making it impossible for Frisk to leave. If the door opened outwards, he'd fall over; and it was impossible to open it inwards with him in the way.

Frisk shook their head, and turned, deciding to still go, even if they just had to take the stairs. However, they stopped abruptly when they found that it had been locked up again. They did a double-take, before turning, staring at the slumbering turtle. He locked it! And he most likely had the keys! Frisk couldn't believe it!

Part of Frisk wanted to be mad at him, but the other half had to admire that he had been a step ahead of them. They folded their arms, unhappy all the same. Well, they couldn't go now. They trudged grumpily back to the room, knowing that now, Gerson wouldn't be letting them go anywhere alone if he had already assumed that they would pull that trick.

The turtle smiled, his eyes still closed. _There ya go, Kid. I'm not letting you go by your lonesome. We're not your family, but, we're still going to be there for you, like it or not._


	19. Because I Promised

Gerson walked up to his shop, the kid sleeping on his shoulders, slumping against his neck. After Frisk went back to bed, he too had slept, but he had woken early, knowing he needed to prepare, but he was unwilling to leave the child unattended, so he grabbed them, putting the sleepy child on his shoulders.

He ignored the weight though as he moved around and began rummaging about, setting things aside to take for the long journey ahead. Flowey had been left at the house to rest, but Gerson refused to go without the child with him, not wanting Frisk out of ear shot. And with Gerson's age, that basically meant keeping them right next to him.

It was early, so Gerson had time to himself as he packed crab apples and sea tea…somehow. Yet, he eventually heard footsteps, and he looked up to see Mettaton and Napstablook walking by. "Hey," he called softly. The two peered back, with Gerson crooking a finger. "Let me talk to Napstablook."

The ghost looked to the turtle, and then back to his cousin. Mettaton smiled. "It's fine, Blooky. I can manage opening the door." It was then that Gerson noticed that Mettaton was carrying an armful of supplies, and then some.

"O…okay…" Napstablook murmured, before floating into the shop as Mettaton left. Then, Napstablook started moving some things for Gerson. "What is it?"

"Do you really want to go with the group?" Gerson asked simply. Napstablook jerked their head up in surprise. "It's gonna be tough, and you don't have a corporal form—I'm not saying you should—but—do you want to go, or just feel obligated?"

Napstablook was quiet. "I…know I can't help too much," Napstablook murmured. "But, even as a ghost, I can still fight, I don't need to have a corporal form for that…and I have my cell phone, I can carry more batteries for Mettaton. So…even if it's not much, I can help, and I…I really want to help. Frisk is really nice, they were the first ones to…like me—actually like me after Mettaton left. I'm not super wise, or super strong, but…I guess I can be super nice for them at least…"

Gerson shook his head, a slight and soft smile coming to him as the child continued to slump against him. "Think you might be too sweet for your own good, Napstablook, but, at least your heart is in the right place."

"Uh…thanks?"

"It was a compliment," Gerson assured with a chuckle.

"Oh…okay," the ghost murmured. "Do you need help with anything?"

"If you don't mind staying a bit, I could use some help with making more Sea Tea—or you could grab some Crab Apples while I do that. I need enough Crab Apples to fill half a dimensional box."

Napstablook tilted their head. "…you have a cell phone?"

"Ha! …no," Gerson replied with a little smirk. "I just have a dimensional box; better just let how I use it lie."

"Okay…" Napstablook didn't pursue the topic, while Gerson slowly rose, and moved to the back of the shop. His hand rested on what seemed like a wooden pole, but whatever it was attached to was hidden out of sight.

However, he frowned, and his hand moved to another one next to it. His hand clenched around it, his eyes narrowing. Yes, he would take this. He thought he wouldn't ever need it again, but…perhaps a final time? Yet, as he raised it, the old turtle felt that it wouldn't be the final time, that somehow, it wouldn't be the last. Not for a good, long while.

* * *

Dogamy groaned quietly at the sound of an alarm clock dragging him out of sleep. He gave a sleepy growl at that, but then jerked at a crash. He jumped with a gasp—only to find that Dogaressa had flung the alarm clock across the room in irritation when it refused to turn off. "Why did you set an alarm, Dogamy?" she moaned. "We have no reason to get up," she said as she fell back onto their bed, covering her head with her pillow.

He shook his head, somewhat amused as he forced himself out of bed to go after the raging clock. He picked it up, giving it a firm tap, and the loud ruckus was silenced. "Because I sadly have a reason to get up."

His wife pulled down the pillow, peering up at him. "What for, Dear?" she asked in concern. Dogamy sat down on the bed, looking to her, huffing, and explaining what he could. He wasn't surprise when he got yanked over by an ear. "YOU'RE LEAVING AGAIN!?" she exclaimed, oddly sounding as if she were near tears—an odd thing to hear from her.

He gently grabbed her shoulders, drawing her over to lessen the tugging on his poor ear. "Dear, hear me out," he said, before explaining that he couldn't just let the child go alone.

"Then tell them to wait, Dogamy!" she pleaded. "Certainly they can do that."

"Dear, if they could be talked down, the barrier would still be up. They went up against Undyne and Asgore."

She folded her arms, grumbling softly. "We could just lock them up," she mumbled.

"Dearest," he murmured sheepishly.

"Don't you 'dearest' me!" she exclaimed unhappily. "I wouldn't complain if I could at least come with you!"

"But you and I both know that you cannot," Dogamy replied simply as he drew her close in an embrace, his hand slipping down to her stomach. "We have pups on the way, we can't risk it."

Dogaressa had been expecting for some time now, but her attire always hid the fact from the general public, so really, only the dog pack was aware of the incoming new family members. They weren't sure how many, but definitely more than two. Dogaressa gave an unhappy whining growl. "Mister," she said a warning tone in her voice as she looked at him squarely. "If you are not back when they decide to come, you'll be in the biggest trouble you'll ever have."

"I don't know if I can…?"

"Dogamy, you have at least a month! How long can you even stay in a place called the Abyss!?"

"I have no idea," he admitted. "But I will promise to try my best."

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him close so that they were muzzle to muzzle. "You better try, Dogamy. And oh, if you die, I'll be very cross with you. I don't want to tell our pups their father died without even getting to see them."

He smiled, and licked her affectionately, causing her to gasp in surprise and yank back as he chuckled. "Oh, my little lady, you know I intend to see our little ones no matter what."

She grumbled, and then hugged him, snuggling into him. "Fine," she muttered. "But you're staying with me as my personal heater for a while longer, Mr. Sets an Alarm at a Ridiculous Hour."

"Every hour is ridiculous to you, Dear…"

* * *

After Napstablook had finished helping Gerson, they returned to their home, but they paused, and then went to the next house, poking their head in. "Mettaton…?" they asked gently. They found the robot sitting on the bed, looking through a stack of diaries that used to be strewn on the floor.

The robot paused, and then looked up with a smile. "What is it, Blooky?" he questioned.

Taking it as an invitation, Napstablook slipped the rest of the way through the door. "…I don't know," they admitted.

"Not sure if we feel ready?" Mettaton guessed.

"Maybe that's it…"

"It can't be helped. We don't know what we're signing up for…" he murmured.

"I wish I didn't feel worried…" the ghost said quietly. "You're always so confident about things…"

Mettaton softly laughed. "Blooky," he said, patting the bed. "Come sit with me…" The ghost cautiously floated over, and settled down next to the robot, seeming so small compared to him. "You know…I'm nervous too," the robot admitted.

Napstablook looked up at him, studying him briefly. "You're just saying that…"

"Blooky, even I can get nervous," Mettaton replied. "You know, I'm a bit terrified when I present new ideas. It could either go really well, or really bad."

"…now I know you're lying."

"Blooky!" Mettaton couldn't help but laugh. "I'm being serious, I swear!"

Napstablook could tell from the arm motions that the robot had started to make, but for once, the ghost teased Mettaton. "You don't sound like it," he said. "You're laughing."

"Because you can be so endearing when people try to talk to you!"

Napstablook became slightly transparent, a little flustered. "Oohhhh…."

Mettaton chuckled and drew them over. "No disappearing acts this time, Blooky."

"Speaking of disappearing acts…" Napstablook looked to Mettaton as he paused. "…promise to never do that again?"

Disappearing without warning…that was something Mettaton had done, and that in turn had left Blooky all alone at the snail farm. "Blooky…" Mettaton murmured. "You know I'm very sorry about that…right?"

The ghost nodded. "I'm not mad at you, and I do forgive you, but…I was worried, I didn't know where you had gone, and…well, I didn't expect you two to be one in the same."

"Why was that?" Mettaton asked. "I thought it was rather obvious."

"Well, I thought when you got a corporal form, it would be…well…" Napstablook looked at the room. "You always seemed more of…that to me, so it surprised me that you did it this way instead…why though? You always preferred the other."

"I still do," Mettaton admitted. "It's just…easier to do it this way. Even today, it's easier to present new ideas in this form instead of the other. However, it really doesn't matter to me which way it is nowadays. I'm doing what I love, and love what I'm doing."

"And so do your fans…" Napstablook said, a smile coming to them. "I guess, I can see your point, I'm sorry that you had to change it up a little, but…you seem happy regardless, so I guess I'm happy."

Mettaton smiled, and drew him closer. "You're too sweet."

Napstablook simply became more transparent.

* * *

Back in Snowdin, Grillby worked in his empty bar. He wasn't surprised by the emptiness; in fact, he expected it, considering everything. People were cooped up at home for the most part, silently mourning the dead. It'd be a while before business would trickle back in, not that Grillby was too concerned about money.

He kept glancing at the door though as he cleaned glasses he hadn't had the chance to do when everything was brought to a jarring halt. He had cleaned the front as best he could, as it was a bit messier than usual due to him leaving the mess where it was that day. Now it was clean, and he planned to start cooking, but he was waiting for someone first.

Finally, the door opened, and he looked up to see a young lady—barely an adult really, come in. A fire monster like him, but with green flames instead of his red, and she wore what looked like a school uniform. "Uncle Grillby?" she asked with concern. "Is everything okay?"

He looked up, his flames seemingly softening. "Did my call worry you?"

She nodded as she came across the room, leaning against the bar, looking up at him. "You…sounded odd."

"Apologies, dear," Grillby said, as he cleaned another glass. "…you've heard what has occurred?" he asked quietly.

Her flames dimmed, before she managed a jerky nod. "Y—yeah…"

"Then did I ever refer to my number one customer by name to you?" he asked, holding the glass up to the light to make sure it was actually clean.

The younger fire monster paused. "…he was one of them?"

Grillby nodded, lowering the glass, and putting it away. "Indeed…by the time he got here, there was nothing to be done. The point of asking you…well, your parents…"

"Sorry, Uncle Grillby, they were on something of a trip, I couldn't even get them on the phone, I tried calling."

"Thank you for coming, I had not intended to trouble you, you're just..." He paused. "Your birthday was just the other week, wasn't it?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, but its fine…"

He could tell by her tone that it wasn't. Her parents weren't bad—they did care for their daughter, they were just…neglectful in the sense that they were almost never home due to their odd jobs in the deeper areas of the Underground, and it didn't help that with the barrier breaking, her birthday had been even more overshadowed.

When everything settled, he'd make it up to her, but for now, things were still stirring. "Happy Birthday, Dear," he still said, reaching forward, stroking her head, while she smiled.

"Uncle Grillby, do I look like I'm eight?" she pretended to complain.

"Can't believe it's already been this long…how do little ones grow so fast?"

"I don't know," she said.

"And are you in summer school?" Grillby asked.

"No, the uniform is just something I like to wear…"

"Truly?"

"Yeah…"

That didn't sound true either. "Very well then, I'll come to the point," he said simply. "I have a promise to keep for my customer, and it involves watching out for someone, but to do that, I can't be here. I had wanted to ask if your parents could watch this for a bit…"

"I'm eighteen," the girl said. "Technically, as long as I don't touch anything on the shelves on the left," she said, pointing. "I can handle the shop," she promised. Rules were only slightly different in the Underground. Much like humans, younger monsters couldn't have the wines and liquor that Grillby had until they were of age, but even at eighteen, there would still be some they couldn't touch.

This applied to his niece, so while she could handle food, and the lower liquors, she would have to alert customers that the other drinks would be off limits until further notice. "When are you coming back?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Grillby said as he cleaned another glass. "But…" he glanced to her. "If I'm not back within a month, do not wait up for me. School will be starting up again, and that takes priority. If your parents happen to come back, just tell them what I said."

"Where are you even going?" his niece asked worriedly, her flames going a bit unsteady.

"Nothing you need to know of now, but…when I come back, I'll tell you what's been going on."

"…you're not telling me something," she said, folding her arms.

"I'm just dealing with a very determined child that I was asked to watch out for," Grillby murmured.

He could tell she didn't want to accept that as an answer, but he reached out again. "I know I'm not making myself clear, but I really don't know how I should tell you what this is about. It's better to just say it once it's all done."

"I do not like that plan."

"Neither do I," he admitted.

The girl gave a low grumble and came around the bar. He tilted his head in questioning, before she suddenly hugged him. Grillby paused, before his flames seemed to soften with a smile. He set down what he was working with, and then quietly drew his arms around her, keeping her close for a little bit, orange and green flames crackling gently.

"Please be careful," she murmured.

"Always," he assured.

"…you'll come back, right?"

"I will most certainly try…"

She looked up at him. "How dangerous is this—why would you risk that? You're not a fighting monster."

"That's a good question," he replied. "I'm doing this because I promised someone, and if I could talk this one from not doing what they have in mind, I would, but…you can't stop a determined soul that easily. However, I promise I'll be careful, as I do intend to eventually come back."

"You better, or I'll have to change the name of the place!"

Grillby laughed. "You wound me, dear, would you really change it?"

"It'd be misleading if I didn't!"

The fire monster shook his head, his flames crackling rather audibly with his amusement. "Goodness, dear…" Then he pulled back. "I need to go cook, so can I show you the kitchen again? It's been a while since you were back there."


	20. It'll Stare Back

That day went by with everyone preparing. Dogamy relayed the news to the other canines of what he was planning to do. They knew what to do, protect Snowdin—and keep an eye on Dogaressa.

Grillby spent the evening teaching his niece everything in the kitchen. When she was younger, she used to come to see him at the end of every school week, sitting on the counter when she was younger, being the topic of conversation because she had been so endearing. When she was older, she helped out, with Grillby paying her for her work. She remembered the kitchen, but was thankful for the refresher, and he gave her the basics with handling the drinks.

Napstablook and Mettaton had spent the day charging empty batteries, and now had filled their dimensional boxes to the brim. Mettaton, with a bit more money, had a third dimensional box, much to their relief, so they crammed as much as they could into it.

Muffet had stayed in her home, working with the spiders to get as much baked goods as they needed to fulfill orders and then some for the next day, as she wanted to have her spiders ahead of schedule, knowing that without her, they'd have to work a bit slower.

Gerson had spent the day preparing, letting the child play around in his shop, though he could tell they weren't into it, and were looking for the chance to slip away, but he didn't give them it. When evening fell, he picked them up, and with an odd ease, he placed them back on his shoulders. "Come on, neck warmer," he teased.

That night was quiet, aside from swift calls between one another, to confirm where they could all meet up. Grillby reluctantly agreed to meet up at Gerson's shop, as it wasn't all that far from the river, and Muffet wouldn't freeze there.

* * *

Gerson ended up being the first one there, with Frisk and Flowey asleep on the counter. Grillby somehow ended up being the next one to arrive. Though he wore a black rain coat, the hood jerked up as he kept his arms close to his body. Gerson raised a finger to warn him to be quiet as he stepped into the shop, illuminating the area with his orange flames. "They're not getting a lot of sleep at night," Gerson murmured.

Grillby's embers dimmed greatly. "It's not a surprise, but…"

The turtle nodded. "Not good all the same…"

"I really don't think they should go, but at the same time, if we come back with nothing…"

Gerson huffed. "They won't believe us and go down there anyways."

Grillby shook his head, slightly exasperated with the child's behavior. He understood how they felt, but their stubbornness—even if they meant well—even if this did work out—they weren't approaching it right. They were so focused on just finding the souls that they weren't looking at the bigger picture or all the problems in the plan, and reason just simply wouldn't work with them.

The fire monster reached out, patting their head, his thoughts running away. He wondered if Sans had the ability to talk them down. To stop them from doing what they wished, but he thought about it…

"I don't think anyone can," Gerson said, catching Grillby by surprise. The turtle gave a soft, knowing smile. "You can't talk someone like Frisk down once they've set their heart to it."

"I figured as much…" Grillby murmured, gently moving their hair behind their ear. "It was just a thought…"

* * *

Dogamy jerked his head up as he started to exit Snowdin. "Already going?" He turned, seeing Doggo leaning against the last of the trees, his eyes watching him closely, tracking the tiny movements Dogamy made, as it was the only way he could see him.

Dogamy managed a smile, and Doggo squinted, to catch the movements. "You know she's gonna be nothing but grief for us."

"Better you than me," Dogamy teased as he came over.

"I feel so loved, brother."

"Ha," Dogamy laughed dryly. "Just pamper her and you'll be fine."

"You mean I might still be breathing," Doggo replied, his gaze not meeting Dogamy's, but instead focusing more on his muzzle where he could make out the movements.

"Better to be breathing than it is to be dead."

"With Dogaressa, that can be debated," Doggo said, his ears wiggling.

Dogamy snickered. "True. Better just lock her axe away and let Greater Dog—or better yet—our parents tend to her."

"Nope," Doggo replied.

"Why not?" Dogamy replied in confusion.

Doggo sighed dramatically and held up a small object. "I pulled the short straw."

"You…drew straws to determine who would take care of her?" Doggo nodded, and Dogamy howled with laughter. "Good grief! All of you, she's not that bad!"

"Tell that to the wall two inches from my head!"

"It was only an empty food bowl…!"

Doggo glared, but there seemed to be kindness in it. "Your wife is violent, just admit it!"

Dogamy gave a toothy grin. "Maybe, but that won't change anything. She's still my hot dog—"

"Don't you go flaunting her with me!" Doggo exclaimed, but there was laughter in his voice. "You're horrible when it comes to her! You just have to show her off! And she's no show-dog!"

"How can I not?" Dogamy asked innocently. "She's a gorgeous woman, and demands your attention, respect, and admiration."

"And yet you still get clocked over the head by her…"

Dogamy chuckled. "Yes…luckily it was just a pillow this morning."

"I heard it was the alarm clock last night."

The seemingly older canine sheepishly rubbed his head. "Yep, clocked by the clock."

Doggo snickered. "Serves you right."

"How?"

Doggo smirked. "Just speaking for Dogaressa. It won't matter what you did, you had it coming."

"Oh, don't you go siding with her," Dogamy chuckled, but their amusement slowly faded. "There's another reason you caught up to me, wasn't there?"

Doggo nodded. "Yeah…royal guards have been talking about who will become the next captain…they were talking about you."

Dogamy's ears raised slightly in surprise. "Me?"

"Yeah, I think it makes sense. Not counting our parents, you're the Alpha really. You know how to manage us, so they think you'd be a perfect fit." Doggo shrugged. "Your choice, but I guess it gives you something else to think about while you're gone."

"Indeed it will," Dogamy murmured, still a bit stunned.

Doggo hesitated, and then came forward, giving Dogamy a quick hug. "Stay safe, Dogamy. I do not want to deal with your wife if you don't come back."

Dogamy gave a rumbling chuckle and returned the embrace, but they quickly broke apart. "Of course, brother," he said, and then, they parted ways.

* * *

Muffet hummed as the elevator went down. Truthfully, it was to ease her nerves, as she swayed to it. Dancing calmed her; in fact, she really liked to be constantly moving, which was why she was so passionate about her job. Muffet had to be on her feet constantly, in order to get everything ready on time.

The elevator opened, and she stepped out, continuing to hum as she followed the path. She stopped her humming though as she saw Napstablook phase out of the lab, holding a battery. "Good morning," she called to them.

They halted in flight, and turned. "Oh," they managed shyly, timidly smiling. "Hello…guess you're on your way to Gerson's? …me too…I was just charging the last battery for Mettaton…we got a lot now…"

Muffet smiled. "That's good," she said as she headed down toward the river, Napstablook drifting alongside her. "…I worry about what might be there…" she said.

"Me too," Napstablook said, before they came up to the river person, with Muffet giving them directions. "What's really down in the Abyss…?"

The river person perked, but didn't turn their head. "It's said to be endless darkness, stretching to infinite…" As the boat began to move, they hummed briefly. "Don't stare at it too long though," they warned. "If you stare at the abyss long enough…it'll stare back."

Napstablook shuddered, sinking into the wood with a quiet moan, while Muffet petted their head in assurance, though the warning had her feeling on edge. What had she been signing up for when she agreed to come? She frowned at her worried thoughts. No, she wouldn't back out now.

The trip was silent after that, but as they came up to the station, Muffet was only partially surprised to see Grillby there. The boat came to a stop, and Grillby offered out his hand. She smiled lightly, and took the offer, allowing him to gently pull her off the boat. "Good morning, Miss. Muffet."

"Good morning to you as well, Sir…" She paused, her eyes all looking at him. "…do you feel ready?"

There was a pause, his flames seeming to nearly still. "…no, not really."

"It's okay…I don't quite feel ready either…"

"Looks like we'll just have to not be ready together," Grillby murmured, causing her to giggle just briefly as Napstablook floated ahead.

Waiting outside of the shop, was Dogamy, and Mettaton, each with a pack, though like before, Mettaton was carrying a good amount of items, and so was Gerson. Awake now, Frisk sat on the counter, Flowey in their lap.

"Well," Gerson murmured. "Looks like we're all here…ready to lead the way, Frisk?"

They nodded, and hopped down, heading west.

* * *

A few minutes later, Grillby shuddered, stepping from Muffet's web onto a small wooden platform that Frisk also stood on, though they had set Flowey down beside them. They pointed forward, and every one stared with varied dead-pan looks.

"So…" Muffet started.

"Basically…" Gerson murmured.

"I can't believe this…" Mettaton moaned.

Grillby stared straight ahead, looking slightly irked. "I concur," he managed.

Dogamy gave a growl. "Did we seriously…"

Flowey raised his head with the most deadpan look on his face. "We walked, in one big, very stupid, pathetic circle." They were at the trash dump, practically right next door to where their search for the lizard had started.

"Ohhhh nooooo…" Napstablook moaned, sliding down against a wall until they hit the water, starting to drift away in the flow, but Mettaton grabbed them.

"Congratulations for noticing, everyone," Flowey growled in annoyance—not at them—but at the huge waste of time he felt had taken place. This whole time, all they had to do, was come here. They stood between the two water falls, one behind them, and the other in front, that poured down into darkness. "High fives all around…to those that can give high fives." The sarcasm was practically coating the words like venom. To put it simply, the flower was ticked.

Frisk, stroked the scarf and adjusted the hoodie they wore, refusing to leave them somewhere that they couldn't be seen. They felt close, and so they knelt, a light sign of amusement coming to them as they tried to lift Flowey's mood. "What?" the flower asked. "A high-leaf?" Somehow the expression became even more dead-pan. "Sans didn't die," he stated.

Then he reared up, flailing wildly. "HE JUST POESSESSED YOU! AND THAT WAS LOW!"

Dogamy gave an amused snort. "That was low," he agreed. "Even for Sans."

"I heartily agree," Grillby stated, though at least the minor event between the two brought light amusement to the group. "With that out of the way, how do we plan to get down there?" Grillby asked.

Dogamy moved through what would have been shallow water to him, while most stayed on dry land, oddly Mettaton did not, but it was no surprise that he was waterproof, considering that Alphys knew he lived in Waterfall when she built the body.

The canine glanced around. "Well, we can't walk down, but I think we can climb down."

Muffet raised a hand. "I can use my threads," she said. "Even one can support everyone here with ease."

Gerson chucked. "Better that than to use our ropes already."

While the group moved around as Muffet summoned purple magic, her fingers glowing as she seemed to weave a thread into existence, Frisk turned to the save point, activating it. They sighed softly, and then looked down at Flowey, jerking in surprise as they saw him. He was leaning as forward as he could, his head fully submerged in the water. Frisk stared at him for several moments, worried, before kneeling down, and after another moment, they gently tapped the base of his petals.

Flowey twitched, feeling their touch and waved a leaf to assure he was aware, but he stayed put like that for another minute before slowly raising his head, the water drifting down his somewhat morphed face as he sighed in relief. Frisk questioned if he was all right, and he looked up, pulling a smile on his faint muzzle. "I'm fine. I just needed a good long drink; I'm a plant after all."

Frisk studied him, but before they could interrogate him for an answer, Muffet clapped her hands for attention. "All right, everyone!" Thick bases of threads were stuck to the walls of the cavern, and they split into thinner threads like rope that went into the Abyss. Gerson eyed it, and then scooped up the kid, putting them on his shoulders.

"Hold tight, Frisk," he instructed, while Napstablook was the one to pick up Flowey this time.

Grillby didn't move from his spot though, knowing he couldn't climb down on his own, even with his rain coat. Dogamy gave a sympathetic smile. "Here, get on my back," he said, kneeling in front of the elemental. "I'll deal with the climbing; you just worry about staying dry."

The fire elemental gave a soft sound of hesitation and reluctance, looking at the water flowing in front of them. He really didn't want to do this…but when he glanced at the child, he accepted what had to be done, and took Dogamy's offer.

Mettaton took another thread wanting to save his flying for when he really needed it, and Muffet showed that here, where she wasn't freezing, she could handle herself, taking a thread as well.

Then, the group started their way down into the darkness, and soon the only source of light was Grillby, if just barely. He had tucked his hands into his sleeves as his wrapped his arms around Dogamy. His hood was drawn up as fully as possible, but he buried his face into Dogamy's neck to shield his flames as much as he could.

As they scaled down, inch by inch, with Napstablook simply floating at their pace, Muffet cast worried glances to Grillby. Why did he decide to come? A fire elemental going to a rumored ocean…it was insane! And the way he was hiding his face, it reminded her of a scared child. Then again, with the waterfall being that close to him, he probably had the right to be scared.

Dogamy was careful though, always wary of an unexpected ledge or hole in the wall he was climbing down, not wanting to risk Grillby's wellbeing in any way. He wanted to glance over his shoulder to see him, but since he could feel Grillby's glasses pressing a bit uncomfortably against his neck, he didn't dare try.

Mettaton made it down with ease, despite the amount of stuff he carried on his back. A concentrated frown remained on his metal face as he continued down, thinking about what would be down below. His eyes narrowed. There would be a challenge, that much was clear, and he would face it head on.

Gerson breathed out, ignoring weariness. He really should have had someone else carry the kid…too late to change that now. He slowly inched his way down, the kid clinging to him, refusing to look down into the pitch black below.

It could have been one hour…it could have been a day, nobody was quite sure. However, they eventually started to see something emerge out of the blackness. A white glow. There were questioning murmurs, but it wasn't until they got closer that Gerson gave a strangled gasp.

The turtle stared and slowly swallowed. "Everyone stop," he stated calmly, though he had to bite down the fact that he had wanted to shout it. "That's…"

Grillby risked taking a peek, and finally saw it. He vaguely recognized it as looking like a magic circle from an anime his niece had once watched with him. "What…does that do?" he asked with a worried tone.

"It's something like a mini barrier," Gerson explained. "It stops others from going through, though when I say stop, I mean it incinerates you to the point that there's nothing left to get through…"

"Then…" Muffet managed, staring at it. "This is it!? We just hit another dead-end!?"

Gerson's expression wore heavily down on him, and somehow, he seemed older. The group stared down, stunned at what they had found. Was this finally the dead end that would stop Frisk? The human stared down, shell-shocked. That…that was it!? Just another dead-end!? They fisted the hoodie they wore while everyone was still. No one wanted to go further down…

No one wanted to go back up.

Nobody could see it; nobody could possibly see that Frisk glared dangerously at the magical seal. They thought about it, trembling. Well, if this plan didn't work, then they could just reset back to before they go down and research how to take it out. So long as they had the will to do so…though it might be waning. Gerson gasped in alarm. "KID!" he barked, reaching for them desperately, but missing. It was too fast; no one had time to use magic to halt their fall.

"FRISK!" Flowey screeched in terror.

They hit the white seal with a grunt, the landing somehow not as bad as it should have been. Their palms rested on the seal as determination to save their loved ones surge through them, and through their hands. The group stared stunned as the seal started to turn a vibrant red. Then, spider web cracks began to spread across it.

Frisk gasped as it shattered, and they began to fall…but they didn't fall far as Muffet's magic came around them, a thread wrapping tight, halting their second fall before it truly began. "FRISK!" the whole group shouted as Muffet pulled them up, grateful for her extra limbs.

"What were you thinking, Frisk!?" Flowey barked, his teeth showing in his anger and fear. He didn't care if Frisk could reset—that scared him!

"What was that, even!?" Dogamy exclaimed in alarm. "I thought you said that would incinerate us!"

Gerson stared, dumbfounded. "I…I don't know, no one soul's magic could have stopped that…then again, humans are different." He stared at Frisk. "Th…they managed to break it, and they're not hurt in the least…"

"Do we keep going…?" Napstablook asked worriedly, something filling them with dread, and something stirred in their mind. Had the barrier been meant to keep them out…or to keep something in?

"We came this far," Mettaton managed.

Grillby slowly drew his head up, wary of the waterfall. "We've made it this far down; it would be pointless to go back up now after we got rid of that barrier."

Dogamy breathed out. "Are we all in agreement?" Everyone slowly nodded, and with that, they continued their descent with Muffet keeping Frisk in her spare grasp, and with the last set of arms, she started lengthening her threads, the barrier having incinerated them where they touched, and she realized that even if the barrier hadn't been there, she would have had to extend them regardless.

She looked at Frisk, watching them as they stared intently down, remembering the River Person's words. They echoed in her mind, worrying her. It felt like Frisk was tempting fate, daring the Abyss to defy them…

It was much later before anything changed. They found the bottom—or, to be more accurate—the bottom found them. It was just so dark, and with Grillby's flames hidden in his attire, Dogamy gave a surprised jerk when his foot found ground. He frowned, his ears rising. The sound was off, and he finally realized that they had indeed reached the bottom. It was just so hard to tell with sounds bouncing all over.

"We're here," he warned. Carefully, the others finally touched the bottom with Muffet spreading her webs so that Grillby could get off Dogamy. The group glanced back up, squinting at the tiny dot of light that seemed to be as far away as a star in the sky. How far down had they gone?

The fire monster instantly drew his sleeves back and then summoned his flames as he lowered his hood. His orange light illuminated the area, and there was a quiet beauty to it really, his orange flames reflecting off shiny black stone, and reflecting off the water. It was odd, how beautiful his fire magic looked, when reflected in something that could so easily harm him.

Everyone looked around, trying to make out where they were. The water pooled around oddly to them. So much water was pouring in, but it was so shallow—though not shallow enough to Grillby. The 'north' of the area was where they had come down, so the waterfall covered the whole length of the wall. The west and south were just more walls, but the east was a low tunnel—compared to most of the Underground.

Upon entering, if Grillby was on Dogamy's shoulders, he could touch the ceiling with ease. Gerson was oddly the one who strayed down to the east while Frisk looked about, trying to figure out what this all was.

Muffet hopped back onto her webs, and walked to Grillby. "Sir, are you all right? The way down did take a while, and you're still surrounded by all this water…"

He looked down at her, his rain coat slick with the water, but he himself seemed fine. "I appreciate your concern, Miss. Muffet," he said quietly. "However, I am fine. The rain coat was made for Fire Elementals, so it worked well."

She sighed softly in relief. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Miss. Muffet," he murmured concern in his voice. "…how long can you make a thread?"

She looked up at the threads that were still attached to the Underground well above their heads. "Indefinitely, I suppose," she said. "I've never reached a limit."

"How long do they stay?"

"About as long as any spider web, they're just as strong, as I said. Why are you asking?"

"I was thinking, to avoid becoming lost, we could start a thread here and continue it…like a ball of yarn, I suppose."

Muffet nodded. "I can do that—that's actually a good idea."

"Hey! Whippersnapper!" Gerson called. "I could use a bit of light over here!" Grillby swiftly moved over, and saw that somehow, there was a plaque on the wall in some ancient writing. Gerson peered at it while Muffet attached a thread to a rock and then moved over, the beginning of their yarn trail following after her.

"What is that?" Mettaton questioned.

"Old writing," Flowey stated. "I can't read it, but I've seen that."

"This was here before the war," Gerson murmured.

"It's that old?" Napstablook asked in surprise. Gerson gave the ghost a look. "Oh-no! I didn't mean it like that!"

Gerson chuckled and waved them off. "It's fine," he said, trying to avoid snickering. "Anyways, give me a moment to read this…" The group went still, silent, and then Gerson seemed to pause, before slowly rising and going further into the tunnel. The group followed, but suddenly, they seemed to come to an edge.

Grillby stood, frowning. His light seemed to hit an invisible force. One moment the walls and the water were alit with his orange light, and then, it was as if they had come against a black wall. However, Gerson slid his foot forward. They could see his foot on the darkness, they could hear the water, but they couldn't see it. He stepped fully forward onto the blackness that stretched for infinite…it was like Frisk's dream, the color that went forever onwards.

Grillby came to the edge, his flames burning brighter and brighter, but it did not illuminate the ground past that point. They could not see what he was standing on, though his light still fell on the turtle.

"What in the world?" Dogamy asked, as they all came to the edge of normality…and the black.

Gerson stared forward, silent for some time. "…We found the Abyss."


	21. This Precious Cycle

Dogamy took a deep breath, and slowly slid a foot forward into the void. He couldn't see anything beneath him, but he could feel the water lapping around his ankles, and he could feel cold smooth stone, but despite that Grillby was increasing his brightness, he couldn't even illuminate the water past that point. Sure, it reflected off the dog and the turtle monster, but that was it.

"Can anyone see anything out here?" Dogamy asked with a frown. He knew he didn't have the best eyesight in the monster kingdom, but he felt he should have seen something. Everyone peered forward, the others staying where they could still see the ground before it seemingly changed into nothingness.

Mettaton's eyes glowed faintly, and then he frowned. "Even my sensors can't see anything…"

"Just peachy," Gerson muttered. "This will be fun to navigate…"

"Oh no…" Napstablook murmured quietly, while Frisk took a deep breath, and then stepped into the abyss, feeling off balanced. They looked out into the dark, quietly gulping. They could almost see Chara manifesting in front of them. They clenched their fists, gathering their determination. Somewhere out there, if the stories were to be true, would be the souls of their lost family.

Flowey shuddered, raising his head tiredly. "It's all black…I can't even see any shapes rising out of it…"

"I'm beginning to wish I had brought Doggo along…" Dogamy murmured. "He would at least be able to tell if there was anything moving in here."

"Would anything even 'live' down here?" Muffet asked, huddling away from the edge, a bit nervous of what seemed like emptiness before them. To her, it was as if the others were standing on nothing, and may fall at any given moment.

"Live would be one way to put it…" Flowey muttered, and then shrugged helplessly. "If there's anything down here, according to stories, it'll be souls and possibly a dragon."

"Do we really want to go in there?" Grillby asked as Mettaton stepped warily forward, half expecting to fall.

"Do we want to?" Gerson asked. "No…but…" He huffed as he watched the kid start to move forward. "Guess we have to. Kid! Don't stray too far, I'd like to stay as a group—if we get separated, this won't end well!"

Muffet took a deep breath, and then spread her webbing forward, frowning as she concentrated. With no clear edges, she had to fully support the web with her magic as there seemed to be no walls to stick to, but thankfully, her webs were strong, and would hold, and slowly, she and Grillby followed after the group, with everyone else hopping back onto the webbings, as no one wanted to suddenly walk off a ledge.

Once everyone was situated, Frisk insisted on simply going straight ahead. If it ended up wrong, Frisk would simply reset and repeat the process over and over until they somehow explored the entire Abyss, or found the souls—whichever came first. Grillby was not surprised when he found himself in the center of the group, and while he provided decent lighting onto them and what they carried, along with the webbing…the blackness remained the way it was, with nothing getting caught in his light.

Time passed, and the only reason they could really track the time was because of Mettaton's internal clock. Down here, they found that while their dimensional boxes worked, it figured that they couldn't call anyone so far down and away from well, anything.

However, that didn't stop them from trekking forth, with Muffet's webs appearing and disappearing so that she wouldn't drain herself fully, but she didn't dare let go of the thread she had attached to the cavern. Though Dogamy assured if they did get turned around, he could use their scents to back track them. Frisk was the least concerned with getting lost, knowing that if worse came to worst, they could reset so long as they stayed determined.

Once in a while, Grillby would use his fire magic, sending a fireball off ahead of the group. It would fly through the air, but nothing would get captured in its light, before it would splash into the dark unseen water, and would swiftly become extinguished.

"Well, at least we know where the ground is," Gerson said in an attempt to brighten the mood.

"There's obviously water here," Grillby murmured. "So why doesn't it react to light?"

Nobody had an answer, though he had a good point. It shouldn't matter how dark it was, the water should at least react to his flames, but it seemed light was not meant for the Abyss. The group kept moving, only taking a break when Mettaton mentioned it was roughly lunch time up above. They sat on Muffet's webs, eating quietly, while Frisk stared off into the emptiness.

Dogamy kept an ear raised as he ate, but he was lost in thought until Gerson tapped him gently. "Something on your mind, Pup?" the turtle monster asked.

"We've been here a while," Dogamy replied. "I haven't heard or smelled anything outside of the group. This place is—in every sense of the word—empty." The ground they walked on was always smooth and flat, and the level of the water didn't change either. Everything was the same.

Flowey tiredly raised his head as Frisk mumbled quietly to him. He frowned, listening, and then tiredly turned his petals. "Frisk says that if this turns out to be wrong as well…it'll be all right." Flowey knew what Frisk meant though. Frisk would reset to the point before they entered, and stop them from going in the first place.

The group was mostly lost in their thoughts as they ate, with Napstablook drawing closer to his cousin, and while the place wasn't as cold as Snowdin, Muffet found she was happy for the fire monster's natural warmth. Eventually though, they were forced to continue onwards. Though it was hard to tell if they were even getting anywhere without anything to reference out in the darkness.

It was only Muffet's thread that told them otherwise. It was the only thing that told them that they were making some form of progress. However, it was frustrating to walk in the indefinite blackness, wondering if there was even an end, as no one knew just how large this place was, or where they even had to go within it to find anything.

Grillby's flames crackled softly, but Dogamy could pick up on it, and knew that the way it was now was a bit more of quiet irritation. It happened, when Grillby realized he had to deal with a bad customer, and the crackles, while soft, and some could just mistake for his amused ones…these were a bit sharper, and once in a while there was a quiet snap to it. Though, it stood to reason why he would be upset. It was water in every direction with no land in sight, and the only reason he wasn't a goner was because of some spider webs.

Hopefully, they wouldn't be down here too long, but Dogamy doubted they'd be that lucky.

Grillby shoved his hands into his pockets, knowing that leaving them exposed didn't change the lighting to their surroundings. Though he realized that the group didn't seem to vanish into the dark, and he wondered if they'd still see each other even if they didn't have any light. He continued walking, but he paused as he swore something reflected in his light.

It was gone before his eyes could focus on it. He walked, keeping his head straight, but behind his glasses, he was looking from the corner of his eye, trying to locate what it was.

Again. Grillby snapped to attention, catching a glimpse of something dark in his flame's light. He glanced back, and then stiffened. The thread that Muffet had been making was being dragged down a lot more swiftly into the water, as if…something was on it just out of sight. "…everyone…" Grillby murmured softly, the tone enough to carry what he meant.

Dogamy gripped his battle axe, ears rising as he sniffed the air, before suddenly yanking Frisk back. "Grillby."

The group moved, and despite not working as a team before, they all naturally circled the child, facing outwards with Napstablook placing Flowey next to Frisk, before floating into position. Grillby drew his sleeves back to his elbows, and then summoned more magic, his flames growing wildly, seeming more fire than monster briefly as his light spread.

Whatever it was…the group realized it surrounded them on all sides. Something dark—nearly as black as the abyss—just a bit lighter so that if Grillby was to dim his light—they'd have seen it had they been squinting while looking for it. "Wh—what is it?" Muffet stammered, barely able to stutter the words out while everyone looked around wide-eyed—no one had an answer for her.

Th _thing_ started moving in a slow circle, but there seemed to be no beginning or end to it. Then, there was a low rumbling—growl like sound coming from above them. Warily, the group turned, everyone tilting their heads up to find the source. At first, it was just darkness—the source too far from Grillby's flames. Then, two glowing white orbs slowly opened, and to them, it almost looked like twin moons.

However, the glow was so strong that they realized that what they saw was a pair of eyes. The growling rumble came again, and they realized it was from the massive creature. It lowered its head and sure enough, Grillby's flames began to reflect off it, but the moment it did, they knew what they were looking at.

The creature was scaled, and they realized it had surrounded them with a coil of its body. There didn't seem to be any limbs, but the head was that of a dragon, its colors nearly as dark as the abyss itself, its eyes being a bright contrast to it, glowing so brightly that they couldn't see a pupil. It was the dragon from the mural within Temmie Village.

Everyone stared wide eyed, hardly able to believe their eyes. The dragon was real. The dragon looked down at them, glaring with a snort, before raising its head just slightly, nearly fading back out of Grillby's light, his flames reflecting on each glimmering scale—and with the water sliding off its coils, it almost looked like the dragon was made out of glistening jewels.

No one moved. No one made a sound. No one knew what to do. Not even Frisk, who stared upwards at the creature that would likely know where their friends were. The creature that would either make or break Frisk's efforts.

"How did you mortals enter here?" the dragon growled lowly, taking everyone by surprise as he spoke. The voice was deep, and he seemed to have a bit of a snake hiss laced in. Everyone stood stiff, until Frisk got up, and stepped forward, raising a hand high as they dared to step out of the ring of allies they had. They went up against a God, they weren't afraid of what he could do to them.

He lowered his head again, coming to the closest equivalent that he could to be eye-to-eye with the human. "There's a magical barrier to keep you out," he snarled. "You are not welcomed here—not yet!"

Frisk stood tall, and then explained how the barrier was taken out. The dragon's eyes narrowed. "Seems I need to reinforce that now," he growled, before looking at them squarely. "I don't care why you were so foolish as to come down here. Leave!" the dragon barked. "Go back to your realm; this is not for the living!"

Frisk stayed stubborn though, even when the dragon growled, causing everything to quiver. "This is my mercy," he snarled. "As I honestly should take you down where you all stand. Turn around, and go home, mortals." Yet, Frisk didn't move. "…no?" the dragon murmured in annoyance. "Little child, do not make me change my mind."

The child dared to step forward, shouting their wishes at him. "Do not test my patience!" the dragon snapped, cutting them off, his voice booming, commanding, sending chills through the monsters, except for one. Frisk was afraid, the chill racing through their spine, but again, they continued, managing to say it this time.

The dragon growled lowly. "I don't think you understand what death is, little one." He leaned his head in close, his blindingly white eyes causing Frisk to wince. "It is permanent, child. They won't come back! I am not about to allow mortals to wander around my realm to cheat death! NOW LEAVE!"

"Wait!" Everyone jerked as Grillby came to the front alongside Frisk, his flames burning wildly. "Is it not possible to form a compromise?" the fire monster asked.

The dragon quietly studied the elemental. "How interesting," he murmured in a soft rumble. "You really are a Bravery," he stated simply. "I admire your trait, but I find it somewhat amusing that you try to defy me." He leaned in close with a snort, the soft gust forcing Grillby to jerk his arms up to protect his flames. "But the right amount of a gust…" His coils moved, and Grillby heard the sloshing of the ocean they stood over. "Just a little bit of water…and you're gone." The dragon chuckled a little. "And yet here you are, standing on top of my ocean, and asking me to compromise!"

"Should I take that as a no?" Grillby asked simply.

"You…amuse me," the dragon admitted, smirking as he looked at Grillby directly. "But no, it still stands. I will not allow you to retrieve souls," he stated firmly. "Though if you want a reason to be down here, I'll give you one if you don't leave soon." Grillby's flames crackled, but he didn't move otherwise. He knew what the dragon meant, the quiet threat was as plain as day.

The dragon gave an irritated snort. "If I let it happen once, then it'll continue through all of time. Death is essential, and I will not allow you to attempt cheating it. Besides…" The white eyes narrowed. "You're only going to find souls and ghosts down here."

"Perhaps you could explain." Grillby was taking the reins for the conversation, the others still speechless. Grillby was a bit scared as he tried to reason with such a creature, but he stood firm, knowing that there was at least a form of a chance now, seeing that the dragon was real. Maybe Frisk could get them back if they did find some way to reason with him.

"Hrrmph, seems the information of this place has been lost to time. Heh, that's what you get for being around before written history. This is what you would refer to as 'The Abyss'. It's a place where souls go—not always…in simplest terms, it's what you would probably call a purgatory. This is not the final destination for souls."

"Then what is?"

"You think I'm going to tell you, Bravery?" the dragon asked with a bit of a bemused smirk, as if he were talking to a naïve child. "That is not of your concern for now." He turned his head away, as if saying he was done with that, before glancing back. "Souls only come here when they are not ready to accept that they are dead. They exist in…visions. If you had kept walking, you would have started to waltz into those."

Before Grillby could ask what he meant, the dragon continued on. "The visions are there for the soul to come to terms with death. Some come to terms within a few days…some are still here." There was a long pause as that sank in, and then he went forth. "If you went into one, you'd be yanked into their reality, and they'll be aware of you—to a degree, depending on how you knew them, but that's beside the point, Bravery. Let's say you and the others did find the souls you were after…you would have their soul…their ghosts…and they're monsters, what are you going to do?"

"We asked the child that before we came down, they were aware of that predicament," Grillby stated calmly.

"Ah, should have known Determination would have come no matter what they heard." Grillby perked at the term as the dragon looked down at the child. "I should coin it as Stubbornness instead with the way you go about." Frisk stared defiantly.

"Is there no way to appeal to you?" Grillby asked. "The child has gone through a lot."

"My stance will remain the same, Bravery," the dragon stated simply. "I will not give them, nor will I bargain over the souls. They have passed on, lived their time, I will not allow you to retrieve them. I suggest grabbing that child and leaving my domain before I grow weary of talking to those who cannot comprehend my order." He shook his head in irritation. "Their bodies are dust, nothing more can be done."

He rose slightly. "And even if they were human, I'd of still refused you. Even if you had preserved the bodies, and had them ready to house a soul again. The dead are dead for a reason, and I will not allow you to meddle with this precious cycle."

"Mortals like yourselves don't think in the long run—at least, not the long run that I must worry about. You'll live your lives, but this cycle will continue. And it must stay in balance. One false shift can break it, and let me tell you, this cycle is fragile as is, and very difficult to fix when damaged."

His white eyes glowed harshly as he gave an irritated rumble. "And you're asking me to retrieve not one—but _six_ no, not even six, this child wants at _least_ eight: their fallen family and two innocent souls that had been slain before them." He growled. "Do you have any idea of the consequences that could befall this cycle if I tampered with just one soul—let alone eight or more!?"

Grillby's flames crackled as he started to think of something to say—to prolong the conversation—to somehow find a way to bargain with him—knowing that Frisk would be beyond crushed if they were sent back.

However, the dragon veered his head back, seeming ready to use force. Before anyone could utter an argument, a strange sound began to echo around, seemingly sounding like a broken machine desperately trying to communicate. Something… _warped_ —there was no other way to describe it—into existence between them and the dragon, arms spread as it faced it, somehow floating above the group's heads.

The others naturally took a step back, looking up at the figure, somewhat stunned. It was another monster—though it was hard to make them out. They wore what seemed like a long black coat, but the white head and hands led them to believe it was a skeleton monster—just not one that they knew. His hands had holes in the palms, and his skull had severe cracks in it.

The strange sounds they heard oddly ended up being the monster trying to speak. The monster continued, making dramatic hand motions while the dragon snorted. "You're here again, Patience?" The monster gave a nod, while the dragon slowly shook his head. "What for this time?"

The monster spoke in the same manner as before, and it seemed only the dragon could make sense of the noise. The dragon snorted, jerking his head back slightly. "A corruption, you say?" Frisk and Flowey jerked their heads up, understanding the word, while the others remained confused. "Hrrmph, and should I feel you are speaking with a well mind, lost Soul? You are not alive, but you're not dead. Your situation is so unique that not even I know what to do with you."

The monster folded his arms, frowning, before speaking again. The dragon listened quietly, frowning as the strange monster continued on, explaining something, but Frisk and Flowey had a good idea as to what. Frisk frowned, recognizing this odd sound, and drew out their cell phone, opening it. The monster reminded them ever so slightly of the memory heads, and so they hoped the same trick would work…and it did. Flowey leaned in close, but the group caught on, and soon everyone was listening in.

"…and since they didn't belong in this place, all consequences they had made shouldn't have happened. The souls that this group came for, they should be allowed passage back."

The dragon leaned in close. "Regardless if there is truth to your words, Patience, the damage has been done."

"Then a compromise!" the monster exclaimed. "You haven't taken my soul because of my uncertain fate. Then, here's my deal. Let them at least try—let them try to find their lost ones. When they leave the abyss, I'll aid you in finding others caught in my situation, and then…I'll freely hand my soul over."

"My…things just became a bit more interesting…" The dragon leaned forward. "I'll hold you to those words, Patience." Then he looked to the group with a bit of an irritated snort. "I give you the chance to find those souls, but I take no part in helping you. I leave it to your own devices, mortals, and heed my words…had anything else been the cause of their death, not even this lost one could have persuaded me otherwise."

"So go, find them if you can, but once you leave, for whatever reason, I'll seal this place once more—and this time…" He glared at Frisk. "It won't be so easily broken. And one more thing…you'll have to find out how to give them life on your own…"

With that, the dragon moved into the darkness, his long coil slowly slipping away, but as he did, the group noticed that the coil split into two tails, and that each tip curled around the ring of a large white lantern. He faded out of sight, as did the lanterns, and eventually, the water stilled.

The phone crackled, and then the skeleton monster floated down, bowing at the waist. "Well, The Abyss is certainly wonderful with people as you can tell. Greetings…you may call me Gaster."


	22. Wrong and Unjust

The group tensed, everyone taking a wary step back, except for Grillby, who stood firm where he was as he looked at the odd skeleton monster. He didn't look…right…as if his form was somewhat giving away. "I think we'll need a better explanation than that," Grillby stated simply.

"Of course," the skeleton monster replied. "I suppose one would be cautious of me." The skeleton monster stepped back slightly. "Let me explain…to the best of my ability." Grillby's flames were slightly more noticeable on his dominant arm, fingers twitching, while Dogamy and Gerson had slowly slid into readied stances, unsure of what to expect from this new monster.

Frisk looked at the cell phone, while Gaster looked down with a bit of a smile. "To think, I can talk through that. It has been so long since I could talk to anyone aside from The Abyss." Then, he looked up to them. "As you heard The Abyss say; I am what he calls a lost soul." He held up a hand, and, it was then that he seemed…not quite right.

It was solid, yet it seemed to melt, and he seemed a little distorted. "There was an accident during my time, and I was…sent to this fate. I can't explain it without complicating it, and truly, only the flower and the human child could possibly understand what I mean. In short, I can only take a 'physical form'—if we can call it that—in places like this that distort reality."

"What is your aim in all of this?" Dogamy asked, glaring slightly. "I find it odd that a stranger would suddenly be offering his aid to a group he doesn't know."

"I am loyal to my King and Queen," Gaster replied simply. "And I am well aware of what happened, though I could do nothing to prevent it. The deaths that have taken place were wrong and unjust, and as a subject to the royal family, is it not in my duty to help them in the times they are in need?"

Gerson folded his arms. "It's a nice talk—but are you telling the truth?"

"Do you really think The Abyss would let me wander around if I was dangerous? Or just trust me on a whim?" Gaster asked simply.

The group looked at each other with wary and nervous glances. "He…does have a point," Muffet murmured. "The dragon obviously wanted us out; Mr. Gaster would have had to have done something important to earn trust from someone like that…"

"She does have a point," Mettaton murmured.

"But…" Oddly, it was Napstablook that spoke. "Now that you're here…what is it that you want to do…?"

Flowey rose slightly. "The ghost's right. What are you gaining from talking to us?" Frisk nodded, staring up at him.

"So suspicious—I suppose that's not unreasonable. I know how to navigate the Abyss. If you wander on your own, it'll take you a very long time to find the souls you are after—as this is a place where all unhappy monster souls go. The chances of running into the ones you're after are slim on your own. However, I can navigate a plane like this, and guide you to their respective visions."

Gaster shifted his gaze back to the child. "And with Papyrus, I'm sure you'd want to find him first. Out of everyone, he'd be the first to come to terms with things."

Frisk thought it over, eyeing the strange monster. He wasn't lying, but…he was withholding a lot of information, remaining a mystery to them. They frowned, and then stepped forward, holding a hand up. Gaster paused, and then reached down. Frisk grabbed his hand, trying to ignore the hole in the palm, and then shook it to show that they'd accept his assistance, and then beckoned down. They murmured to him, and he nodded. "I'll give you a few minutes." With that, he moved off, floating away from the group—but unlike the dragon—he didn't vanish into the shadows.

The child turned, disconnecting the phone, just in case, as the group glanced from the skeleton monster, and back. Frisk murmured softly to Flowey, and the flower tiredly perked. "You think that's a good idea?" Frisk nodded. "That's just going to confuse things," he muttered under his breath. So he started simple. "Frisk thinks that he's the best chance we got."

Grillby's flames seemed to slow, his voice firm as he folded his arms. "And if this all goes wrong by doing so?"

Flowey huffed. "That's why I'm going to have to start explaining a confusing matter about an ability Frisk has…if something goes wrong with Frisk's plan, they can fix it. They can…reset points in time."

Everyone stared blankly. "…what?" Gerson finally asked, looking at the flower oddly.

"I'm not making this up!" the flower snapped, huffing tiredly, already feeling drained by this. "Frisk has the ability to go back through 'save points', and if and when they die, they can typically go back through time—but only up to certain points."

Dogamy's ears twitched. "You're trying to tell us that they can time travel and defy death?"

"I told you this was only going to confuse matters," Flowey grumbled at Frisk.

"Maybe they have a point…" came Napstablook's soft voice.

Mettaton glanced to his cousin with an odd look. "What makes you say that?"

Napstablook went stiff, searching for a response, before giving a shrug. "Well…why lie or make that up—and even if it isn't true, why talk about it now…? Oh no…that might not make sense…"

"I…" Everyone turned to see Muffet. "I understand…and I think they're telling the truth, but it's not something I can really explain."

"It's not," Flowey assured. "I'd just take it as is and not try to complicate matters." Though he knew why Muffet had that feeling. Frisk had to reset a few times because of her battle, and she was faintly remembering that, and having the feeling that the battle was longer that it really was.

He glanced to Mettaton silently, analyzing the robot, wondering if he had that feeling as well, and was just hiding it away with his acting abilities. "The point of telling you," the flower murmured. "Is that…if this goes wrong, Frisk can reset back to before we even entered…they'll be the only one who remembers what happened, but they'll be able to use what happened this time to help them to decide on what to do the next time."

"That's what you meant earlier," Grillby stated. "When everything would be all right if this didn't work out." He looked at Frisk. "You planned to do this until you got what you wanted—or had to give in, and would simply reset before we had to risk going in there."

Frisk was quiet, but then nodded slowly. "Of course they would," Flowey stated. "Why have you remember this if it turns up nothing?"

"I understand your reasoning," Grillby said. "Though I do not agree with it."

Flowey and Frisk both looked down, before Flowey continued the conversation, answering some more expected questions about Frisk's more unique ability, and after that was cleared up, the group reluctantly agreed to allow the odd monster to guide them on Frisk's word that they could fix things if everything went horribly wrong.

Frisk had drawn out their cell phone, and called him back; alerting Gaster they would let him lead the way. Gaster smiled, and then led them off, seemingly choosing a random direction, but at this point, anywhere was good, and Frisk simply noted the main direction they had been taken from where they had confronted the dragon.

Gaster was easy to follow, despite that his attire vanished into the black of the abyss, but his white hands and skull were easy to spot. Flowey was carried by Napstablook again, and had closed his eyes, dozing somewhat as he let his mind wander back to the Ruins, when they were waiting for the other child to find them.

He had been speaking there, by the flowers to the true Chara of this world. He hesitated as he hunkered down, and then sighed. "…Chara…?" The flower shrugged when there was no response. "This won't make sense to you, but…I'm Asriel. You probably hate me, and nothing I say is going to change that, but I'm okay with that." He couldn't feel, so it didn't emotionally matter to him what Chara felt.

"However, someone told me, you might be our only chance…there's another…you—to put it simply—running about. They're the you that harvested all those dark emotions—the human equivalent of a beast monster, I suppose. Do you remember Dad talking about those? They're…they're killing a lot of people, Chara. Not just monsters, they're trying to kill humans, too…I…"

"I don't know what I'm expecting, trying to talk to you. If your soul is still there, and can even hear me…but, you're the only one that can fight against this other you, and stop them. If they have their way…everything will die, I…no…I may be him, but not quite…Asriel would believe you wouldn't be like that."

"Chara…how do I even ask you to help? Everything thinks I can talk to you, persuade you, but when you think about it, shouldn't I be the least likely? Aren't you mad at me…him…us? But…if you don't do anything, they'll kill everyone and everything, but…if they're you…I guess you want that too, now. So…does anything I say matter? I can't tell if it even matters to me, which way it goes…"

"Though, I guess I know one thing…I don't want to die. Selfish? Yes, but death is not something I want just yet. No one here wants to die—not yet, but…is that going to mean anything to you anymore? Isn't that why you climbed this mountain…?" He lowered his head, staring at the ground, his face shadowed.

"…isn't that why you poisoned yourself?"

"If our plan had worked Chara…what would you have done afterwards? Would you have stayed with me until everything ended…or would you have left me the moment it was done, and the barrier broken?"

"Chara…I don't know what to say. I can't apologize…not genuinely. I can't feel sorry…or guilty…I can't feel any of that anymore, Chara…and all that's left of Asriel is this shell. But I want—"

Flowey had never finished that sentence.

The flower stirred as he was brought back to the present, tiredly raising his head, seeing that they were still traveling through the black. Frisk however, seemed unsatisfied before finally calling for Gaster. The skeleton monster halted, and came back over, leaning forward a bit to be closer to Frisk's eye level, as they were rather small compared to him.

Frisk beckoned him closer, and when he leaned close enough, Frisk suddenly jumped, latching onto his shoulders. Gaster gasped, jerking in surprise as the child swiftly clambered up to sit on him, arms folded as they held the cell phone. "What are you doing, Child?" the skeleton monster asked, seeming a bit strained—but not from impatience or irritation.

The child murmured quietly to him, and Gaster slowly shook his head. "Should have known you'd want to talk." The group gave glances to each other. Grillby had a high distaste that Frisk was doing this—and didn't mention that they would. If Gaster pulled something, there was little he could do without the others giving him some way to fight over the black water.

Gaster went back ahead with Frisk, concentrating as he moved each step deliberate. Frisk paused, hearing the water ripple beneath him, but not as if he were walking in the water…it was more like he was walking on it instead, defying some of the world's laws. "What do you want to talk about?"

Frisk was silent at first, adjusting the hoodie draping around them, making sure they weren't hindering his vision, seeming as he appeared to have trouble seeing through one of his eyes. Once they were settled, they adjust their hold on the phone, and stared straight forward. Then…they asked the question.

"Have we met before?" Gaster asked in confusion. "I don't think we have, child. I'm not fully part of your world. It's only because we're down here that I can interact with you."

However, the child was insistent, talking to him quietly, describing a fuzzy memory…something they could have mistaken for a dream. A door that shouldn't be there…and a figure surprised to see them.

"You must have vivid dreams," Gaster simply replied. "Surely, someone like you would have unique ones, with all things considered."

Frisk frowned, questioning why he would know that.

"Just because I didn't interact with your world doesn't mean I don't know a lot about what has happened up there. I'm aware of your journey…I'm aware of that corrupted soul, and the premise of timelines…"

The human was quiet, before questioning what exactly was wrong with him.

"I was in an accident," Gaster replied simply, as if what he was saying was completely natural. "It caused me to be knocked out of the timeline…no one remembers me, and I simply exist watching the world go on." Gaster shrugged. "I've learned many things while being like this, but the point is moot, unless I can find some way to reverse what has happened."

Frisk gave a soft hum, having heard, but still left unsatisfied with the vague explanation as questions popped into their head. How long ago was Gaster around? What was the accident? And who was he really…who was he before it had all happened? However, it seemed Gaster wouldn't be handing those answers over.

They continued to travel, until eventually, the group started to tire, and Mettaton noted that it was getting late. Muffet had increased her magic, her webbing becoming stronger, as she formed a little 'island' so that they could set up camp. Thankfully, with Grillby around, they could safely have a fire even on her webbings, due to his ability to control what burned and what didn't.

The group had dinner, with Gaster leaving them be, simply stating he'd scout ahead and would be back eventually. Though the group was somewhat relieved to know he wouldn't be lurking around for a bit. It didn't matter what others said, Gaster was indeed strange. After they had their meal, the group turned in, aside from Napstablook, who settled on being the night watcher, as they didn't need sleep.

Dreams eventually came to them…even Flowey. The flower rose tiredly in the Ruins on the little mound of grass. He paused in surprise when he saw Chara in front of him, in the flesh…with a glowing red aura around them, their crimson orbs looking down. He hunkered back, uncertain, but they raised a hand. "Just me," they stated, their voice calm and even.

"The…other one," they said, eyes narrowing. "I have them held down for now, I figured we could talk."

Flowey shrugged. "I was wondering where you had been."

"The other is hard to restrain," they said, sounding a little tired.

The flower breathed out. "I suppose I should thank you for trusting me."

"Who said I did?"

"What?" Flowey asked, stunned.

Chara crouched down so they were nearly face to face…eye to eye. "Do you really think I would have listened to a flower that claimed to be Asriel under any other situation?" They gave a sharp breath. "And even if I knew they were telling the truth…would I have truly just gone with what you said with all things considered?"

"Then…why did you…?" Flowey asked in confusion.

"In case you didn't notice, I didn't have much of a choice," they stated firmly. "When in that body, the other was clawing at me constantly for control, and…well, they were going to win. So here were my choices. Let them win, and we'd all die. I knew that was going to happen from the brief moments I was there with them. Or…I fought back, and let you absorb us…and we had the slight chance of surviving. What did you think I was going to pick?"

Flowey huffed. "You take the 'most likely going to die' instead of 'will most definitely die'."

"Exactly," Chara said. "And I was pressed for time. I had to hope you meant what you said, as I was losing control." They huffed, rubbing their head. "It's really hard to keep them down. I've restrained them, but that's not going to last long…I'll have to go back and deal with them."

"I can tell it's rough," the flower murmured. "I can feel you two having it out."

Chara shrugged. "Not my problem."

"What of the third soul…?" Flowey asked. "Are they an issue?"

"The third…?" Chara murmured. "I know they're here, I've seen them, but…they haven't been a problem…they haven't done, anything really. What are they, are they…?"

"They're the Frisk from that other world," Flowey confirmed. "I was wondering if you had run into them, I haven't seen them."

Chara shook their head. "I wouldn't say run into them, but…care to come for a walk?" they asked. Flowey dead-panned, huffed, and then a shimmering glow came over him, and when it vanished, Asriel took his place. Chara stumbled back in surprise, not expecting it.

"Sorry, it's quicker than me trying to follow you as a flower," the little monster said.

They huffed, eyes narrowed. "Just come on," they muttered, their voice hostile, before they led them off. Due to it being a dream, they didn't have to go far. "They're over here," Chara said, motioning forward. 'Asriel'…no, only in appearance. It was still Flowey. He looked over, and he saw the third soul. He paused though, looking at it.

"It's so…damaged…"

Chara nodded, looking at the mostly broken heart, basically only held together by a thread. "This soul…it's been destroyed so much. They don't ever do anything. You know, when I fought for control, and we struggled over it…I sensed them, but they didn't do anything at all. They didn't side with me or them, they're just…broken. Their own being was just…taken away."

"I know why…I saw the things they went through…and their hand was forced to do awful things, and now I see…just how bad it was."

"Do you truly not feel anything for them?"

"I know I should…" the monster frowned. "But I don't."

"If it means anything, I don't feel much for them either." The monster perked in surprise and looked to the human child who stared straight forward. "I don't feel connected to anything really. I think about it…Mom and Dad died…I feel…slightly bad about it…but…not as much as I should." They shrugged helplessly. "Guess I've been dead too long."

Flowey paused, unsure of how he should respond, or on what he should do. Even with these souls inside him…he couldn't feel much more, as all these souls were damaged, and between the four of them, his ability to feel was barely there…but it was possibly better than nothing.

Chara gave a soft gasp, grasping their head. Flowey turned in surprise, reaching out for them, but they shoved him away. "They're starting to break away, I need to go."

"Chara…"

The human turned, clutching their head. "You want my trust?" They shook their head. "You're not Asriel, but regardless if you were or not…" They jabbed him in the chest harshly. "You're gonna have to start earning it back, if you want it at all." Then, with that, they vanished, leaving him alone with the broken soul. He paused, looking to it, but, before anything could be done, he woke up.

"Ohhh…" Flowey groaned and slowly turned his head up to see that Napstablook was carrying him. "You're awake…you were asleep a really long time…I was worried you might miss lunch…" Flowey looked around and realized the group was on the move again. How long had he been asleep?

He looked up as everyone came to a stop as Gaster came flying back. "This would be a good place to stop…I found Papyrus's vision up ahead. And now…" he looked to them, his eyes glowing. "Which of you would be the best to go in there? Who was closest with him?"

Everyone looked around, with Dogamy thinking things over, as Frisk stepped forward, raising their hand.


	23. Didn't Promise Certainty

Gaster leaned down. "Is it just you?" Frisk paused, and then looked back to the fire elemental who had oddly not done anything. Grillby looked down to Frisk, his expression near impossible to read.

"Compared to how well I know Sans…Papyrus might as well be a stranger to me," the fire monster stated. "He rarely ever came to my place—and when he did, it was just to get his brother." He looked to Gaster. "If you're trying to get the ones closest to him—for whatever reason—I won't be the right choice for Papyrus."

Gaster nodded slowly. "I see…and yes, you're right. I believe those closest to him would help draw him out of the vision." He looked down to the child. "Are they truly the only one?" Everyone looked to one another. Most didn't even live in Snowdin, and Napstablook only barely knew him from when he went to visit Undyne.

Dogamy looked to Grillby, and then stepped forward. "Perhaps I can come," Dogamy said as the skeleton monster looked up at him. "We worked together a few times when he was a sentry. We're not close in any sense, but I don't want the child going alone, and out of the rest of us, I would know him best…even if it's not much."

"Then are you ready?"

Dogamy grabbed his battle axe, gripping it firmly. "As ready as one can ever be," he stated firmly. Gaster looked back down to the child, and then grabbed their hand gently. Somehow, with relative ease, he drew them up onto his shoulders, as if Frisk barely weighed a thing to him.

"The rest of you should stay here," Gaster murmured.

Grillby's flames crackled audibly. "How long will this take?"

The skeleton monster shrugged. "If more than three hours go by, perhaps that would be a good time to start worrying. I've never tried to remove someone from a vision before; I'm not sure how long it will take."

Grillby folded his arms, the soft crackles of his flames remaining present. "Then know you better come back within three hours."

Dogamy glanced over his shoulder at the fire elemental, knowing that Grillby didn't trust Gaster, nor did he like the idea of them getting separated. "If we stay too long, I'll bring us back out," Dogamy assured, though while the fire settled, he knew Grillby wasn't happy about it.

"You best be careful," Grillby stated firmly.

Flowey raised his head tiredly. "The same goes to you too, Frisk," he muttered.

Frisk raised their hand, wiggling their fingers to assure him that they heard, and that they would try to come back as quickly as they could—and in one piece. Though Frisk was ready for whatever may try to greet them. So long as they stayed Determined, they knew they would have a chance.

Gaster offered out a hand to the canine, but Dogamy lifted his gaze. "I'll follow you," he stated, not taking the offer. Without a word, Gaster lowered his hand, and then led them forward. Muffet hesitated, and then activated her magic to create more webs for them to walk on. The three headed into the black, easy to see, until a haze seemed to come over them, and they vanished into the world of darkness.

The three slowed as things started to morph, coming into view as color began to fill the void. Dogamy gave a soft gasp as the flat ground suddenly morphed into a slope, causing him to have to adjust his footing. He winced, shutting his eyes as a bright light finally came. After a few moments, he opened his eyes to find that a different place had warped into existence.

The three were on the slopes of Mt. Ebott. Dogamy looked around in confusion, but he caught sight of Frisk tensing, looking about worriedly. Seeing them like that, he gripped his weapon tight, half expecting something to lunge out at them.

However, nothing did as Frisk stared straight ahead, where they saw the cave entrance. There was nothing at first, but then something shakily climbed out. Dogamy and Frisk froze, staring wide-eyed as Papyrus came into view, but he didn't seem to notice them as he moved about warily around the cave entrance, murmuring softly to himself.

"I…I tried," Papyrus murmured, glancing down the slope, before continuing to slowly circle the area around the cave entrance. "I tried to talk them down, but…" Papyrus breathed out. "I couldn't get through to them, and now I…" Papyrus looked down at his chest where his attire was torn, and stained red from the wound Chara had given him. He rested a hand on his skull, making small murmurs of worry. "I can't be dead yet…" he managed shakily.

"I only got the human knocked away—what about Frisk and the flower? Are they all right—could they even get away? Frisk wouldn't fight them—not after what happened…" He looked off into the trees, fretting. "And the others…where are they?" Frisk stiffened. That was right…he never learned of the others.

"I don't want to die yet—I wanted to at least get them somewhere safe—they need help—and I…" Papyrus fell silent, his thoughts continuing internally, while Frisk squirmed to the point that Gaster was forced to put them down before they fell off him. "I…" Papyrus paused, something dawning on him. "It wasn't completely wasted—I protected them—I stopped the other human from getting in—I gave them time. The others can come…they can make it without me."

Dogamy lowered his head, while Frisk tried to ignore the stubborn tears. Gaster was right, coming to Papyrus first. He tried to find the bright side of everything…even his own death. But he didn't know…the others were all gone…only Sans had come, but now…

Nobody could come.

Frisk rushed forward, wanting to get Papyrus's attention, wanting him to understand that they weren't ready for him to come to terms with this—to pass on without them! Dogamy and Gaster were brought to attention as the child rushed to Papyrus as he moved back toward the cave entrance, calling for him, but the skeleton monster didn't seem to hear them, and when they tried to latch onto a leg to let him know they were there…they simply phased through them.

The child didn't move from they had stumbled, the reality slowly sinking in. Papyrus was completely unaware of them. They were so close—their friend was right there—not even more than a few steps away, but yet…Frisk felt that there was no other way to be further from him.

Dogamy looked to Gaster. "We can't interact with him—how are we supposed to draw him out?"

"We have to find an opening," Gaster said. "He's not in full acceptance."

"How will we know when there is an opening?" the canine asked, brow furrowing.

"I'll alert you," Gaster assured, before they paused, the area warping with the two gasping as their slope turned into a set of stairs. Gaster simply floated, but Dogamy jumped down to the bottom before he fell down instead.

Frisk found themselves at the top of the stairs, and when taking a quick glance about, they quickly put together where they were. Sans's and Papyrus's home. They turned, to see the brothers in front of Papyrus's room, the taller one kneeling to hug Sans.

"You've got a good heart, bro…" Sans murmured quietly. "Just, please, please don't let them take it. I…I can't lose you."

The taller brother blinked in confusion, and then knelt, hugging his brother. "Sans…I promise to be careful. I'll do what I can to capture them and not get hurt." However, there seemed to be a pause, as if everything in that moment froze. Sans faded away like a ghost, and Papyrus was left alone.

Papyrus slowly stood, looking down at his hands, closing them tightly. "I know I didn't promise certainty…I didn't promise that I'd survive, and yet…I still felt like I broke that promise…did I not try my best and do what I could?" Papyrus huffed; a slight trace of a smile came to him. "Well, maybe if I didn't jump in front of them like that…but…if I hadn't, we would have lost two instead of one… Sans…would you have understood that?"

He moved down the hall, past Frisk, and stopped at his brother's door. "I know you wouldn't fault Frisk…it was my choice, and yet…I feel like there's still something wrong." He opened the door, looking at the room that was the opposite of his own. Papyrus shook his head at the mess. "I always told you to clean that…"

Papyrus huffed and moved back down the hall. "I'm missing something," he muttered. "What is it that I'm not satisfied with?" He felt he had come to terms with it, as despite the haze, he was aware he was no longer alive. He couldn't change that he was dead. So, if he could accept that…why was he still feeling unsatisfied?

"I've accepted it, I protected them, gave them a chance to run…I probably hurt that other human so the others would have an easier time dealing with them. I left on a somewhat okay note…but I…" The skeleton went silent, and headed down the stairs, going through Gaster, who turned, reaching out for the dead monster, but his hand paused in mid-air, and slowly lowered.

Dogamy stepped out of the way as Papyrus went past him, with Frisk looking over the railing as he began pacing, trying to figure things out. Frisk watched sadly, not understanding how he could so easily accept his death, when they themselves would go down kicking and screaming had they been in his place.

He wasn't supposed to die! Their hands closed tight on the railing, their knuckles going white. Chara should have never been here, and he should still be alive. Frisk didn't care if Papyrus was willing to accept that fate—they would find a way to bring him back—they didn't come this far to lose him.

Yet, Gaster gave no sign that there was any way to communicate with Papyrus, much to Frisk's frustration. They stormed down the stairs, racing for him, but as he stepped out the door, things morphed again, and the three found themselves in snow, with Frisk tripping, and ungracefully face-planting the white stuff, quickly scrambling to grab the cell phone that slipped out of their pocket, checking to make sure it was still connected.

Dogamy winced, his eyes adjusting to the area, and when he looked up, he was surprised to see Papyrus—no, it wasn't Papyrus, it was the being who stood next to the skeleton. Dogamy saw another version of himself.

"You see," Papyrus explained. "With this puzzle set up, it's impossible to pass this area until completed. This way, if a human comes through here, they can be delayed for a bit." The vision's Dogamy eyed the puzzle, looking it over. It was a crude map of the area, with a red 'X' on it.

"While this can definitely hinder a human," the dog said. "What if you came from the other side?"

Papyrus smiled. "There's a lever hidden in the cliff wall that will lower the spikes if you came from the other side."

"And for those who are not so puzzle inclined?" Dogamy asked.

"It's all right to share the answer with monsters, I suppose," Papyrus said, and pointed at the 'X'. "See those three black marks surrounding it?"

"Yes…?"

"That represents the three pine trees in the upper area…"

Dogamy paused, peering at the 'map' before he finally saw what Papyrus was trying to point out. Then, he smiled slightly. "The switch is there, isn't it? In that patch between the trees?"

Papyrus nodded eagerly. "You got it!"

"Clever," Dogamy assured. "Though, may I make one suggestion?"

"Sure," the skeleton monster replied.

Dogamy used his axe to send some snow into the air, and dust over the map. "It might delay them a bit more if they had to uncover it."

Papyrus practically beamed. "That's a great idea! Wowie! I can't believe I didn't think of that!" With that, the two had worked together, swiftly covering the thing in a light dusting of snow.

Dogamy chuckled when they were finished. "Well, I'll be sure to let my pack know of this. Thank you for taking the time to it."

"But of course!" Papyrus replied with a smile. "Anything to help the Royal Guard."

The dog smiled. "I suppose I'll let Undyne know as well," he said. "Since any human that has fallen down here lacks any decent jumping ability, this will definitely delay them."

"In that case, maybe I could design some more puzzles," Papyrus murmured.

"They'd be welcomed—so long as you let us know what they are like this one."

"I'll be sure to let you know before I rig anything up," the skeleton monster assured.

The real Dogamy watched this, remembering it. This was the first puzzle Papyrus had ever set up when Undyne learned he could actually set up decent setbacks for intruders, like most monsters did against humans back during the war. He had heard that Gerson even encouraged letting Papyrus do it…and that Undyne now found the turtle insisting that she set some up in Waterfall.

It was then, that the two started to part ways, with Papyrus starting to head for the spikes. Gaster came forward without warning. "Now!" he exclaimed, forcefully shoving the dog monster forward. Dogamy gave a gasp of surprise, half expecting him to crash into his vision's self. However, instead, he phased into the form, nearly falling before he steadied himself.

Dogamy paused, feeling different now, as if he was more entwined with this vision. He watched Papyrus's retreating form, and then it clicked, and he did something, that in hindsight, he wished he had done back when this had happened. Dogamy reached forward, a hand coming on Papyrus's shoulder, and not going through him. "Papyrus?"

The skeleton paused, and then turned, looking confused as he tilted his head ever so slightly. "Yes?"

Dogamy gave a smile. "I know you're not a fan of Grillby's, but, if you're interested, the pack and I will be there in the evening for cards—if that's your game."

Papyrus gave a surprised smile, and Dogamy realized it was the right move, much to his relief. "Wowie—I uh…maybe? I'm not sure how good I'd be at any card games…"

"I'm sure you'll find one you're good at. Between all the members of the pack, there's a lot of games we do play."

"Then…I guess I'll be there," Papyrus murmured sheepishly.

"I'm glad to hear that, and…" He smiled warmly. "You wouldn't know this, but your puzzles did help us greatly."

Papyrus gave a hum of confusion. "They did?"

The dog monster nodded. "Indeed. I had to set them back up to give our human friend time to get to the Ruins when the other was chasing them. It bought them a good amount of time."

Papyrus paused. "I still helped…" he murmured, somewhat piecing things together, but Dogamy realized that it was like talking to a dreamer. He comprehended that what Dogamy stated happened after he died, but he didn't comprehend that Dogamy shouldn't have known about it to relay it in the first place.

The skeleton monster hummed softly with thought. "Are the others all right?" he asked.

Dogamy hesitated. "…Frisk is fine," he started. "And they were able to stop the human."

It seemed—for the moment at least—that Papyrus accepted that as answer. "That's good…" he murmured in relief. "They were able to get away…heh…do you think they'll be all right?"

The dog looked back to the human that still couldn't be seen by Papyrus, and then he looked back. "They'll miss you," he stated.

"I know…" Papyrus murmured. "But they'll be all right, they're strong…I mean, I understand what they'll have to deal with, but…I can't fix this, and the best that we can all do is just move forward, but…" The skeleton monster sighed. "I don't know, I feel like I'm missing something here…I should be ready to move on…I feel like I accepted that I'm dead…"

Dogamy frowned. "Maybe…you've only accepted the fact…" Papyrus glanced back to the canine to see a serious expression on him. "But, perhaps, you're not ready to accept that you had to stop your life there, and there are still some things you want to do."

"Then I need to find them," Papyrus murmured. "I don't want Frisk to worry about me being here for long…"

As Papyrus took a moment to gather his thoughts, the scene began to change again, and Dogamy found that they had moved into Grillby's, standing by the table his pack would usually meet up at. The skeleton was staring off into space, and when he looked to Dogamy, he smiled, the vision having momentarily confused the soul.

Dogamy motioned to an empty seat across from him as he sat down, and Papyrus followed suit. The dog put his weapon aside, and folded his hands, looking to Papyrus. "You need to focus," he told him. "How aware are you of your situation?"

Papyrus paused, the smile fading. "I still remember," he assured. "I'm dead…this is all just an illusion. I'm aware…but not aware, if that makes sense. It's hard to keep it focused when the area changes so fast. But…" He looked to Dogamy. "You're different. You're the only one who doesn't just go with how everything played out…"

Dogamy nodded. "That's because I'm not fully part of the vision." The skeleton monster gave him an extremely befuddled look. "It's a long story, Papyrus. To put it short and simple… Frisk is dead-set on finding you, so…here we are."

Papyrus blinked. "Frisk is here?" he asked. "The actual Frisk? Not just another…?"

"Yes, they're here…you just haven't been able to see them," he said, glancing off to see the child slowly approaching Papyrus. "They're to your left right now, almost in arm's reach."

Papyrus turned slowly, looking over, but unable to see the child. Frisk stood right by him, looking up sadly, raising their hand, before pausing right before they touched him, knowing what would happen if he couldn't see them. Papyrus was silent, before he reached out, searching for them, his hand missed them at first, but then, to their surprise, his hand found theirs.

Frisk froze, while Papyrus paused, and then leaned forward, his hand gently closing around theirs. He squinted as something began to fade in a blur, before defining itself. Frisk. He gasped, and Frisk yelped in surprise as he scooped them up. "Frisk!"

They stared, before suddenly hugging him with a cry, their grip as tight as it could be as he held them firmly against his chest as they sobbed. "Shh," he soothed. "It's okay…it's okay, I'm here, you found me…"

Frisk whimpered, managing to choke out words to him that made him smile a little as he held them close. He wasn't sure how they got to where he was, or what their plans were, but he was glad to see them again, because he wanted to… Then he realized why he hadn't been satisfied. He remembered, when he was dying…he had so desperately wished to see them smile, but he couldn't get them to truly do so before he crumbled away.

Well, perhaps he could get the chance to do so soon, but now wasn't the time. He drew them back to look at them, his hand petting their brown locks. He looked down, his petting stopping as he noticed that they wore his red scarf. He smiled, not all that surprised that they would have done that, however he stiffened when he finally realized what else they were wearing. "S…Sans…"

They looked up at him sadly, not saying a word, not wanting to, and thankfully, Dogamy took over, resting a hand on Papyrus's shoulder. "We…lost him and some others as well—however—we will do everything we can to find them—if we found you, then the chances are good we can save them all as well."

He hadn't said any names, but the way the skeleton had fallen silent seemed to hint that he was quickly putting everything together…and wishing that he wasn't. "Oh gods…all of them were…" His limbs quaked, and Dogamy could hear the quiet sounds of his bones literally rattling. Papyrus almost looked ready to break down at the realization that so many more had died, but the child's weight in his arms brought him back before he did so.

Papyrus closed his eyes, his shaking coming to a stop as he calmed himself for Frisk's sake. "Right…" he murmured. "We'll find them too," he said, pulling a smile. He had the confidence if Frisk found him, it just still hurt to know that his brother… He kept the child close, unwilling to release them.

Dogamy breathed out, glancing to Gaster that remained unseen to Papyrus, who then spoke quietly. "Just follow me out; so long as he comes with us, he should leave the vision as well."

The canine nodded, and then looked to Papyrus. "We should start moving…" he said quietly as Frisk snuggled back into Papyrus.

Papyrus nodded and then they all headed for the door of Grillby's, but when they stepped out, Papyrus gave a gasp of surprise, and suddenly, nothing was holding Frisk. Instinctively, Dogamy lunged, splashing through shallow water as he grabbed them before they hit it. He yanked them up in surprise, turning as he tried to figure out what had happened, only to stare.

In Papyrus's place was a monster soul, beating softly with an orange glow around it. Frisk stared and then reached out for it. It seemed somewhat aware of its surroundings, as it floated into Frisk's hands and they slowly drew the soul to them, letting it float against their chest. "What in the…?" Dogamy breathed.

"Having a form outside of visions is tiring on a soul," Gaster murmured. "It's a safety precaution so that souls do not run into one another down here. So long as he stays with Frisk though, it should be fine. He won't disappear on us so long as we don't leave the abyss before we find some way to keep a hold of him."

Dogamy nodded, and swiftly they headed for the group, who looked up in time to see a somewhat happy Frisk holding the soul to them. They had saved one.


	24. Through the Haze

It was a little chaotic at first, with everyone demanding answers, while Frisk just wanted to be left alone for a bit with Papyrus's soul. Thankfully, Dogamy took over explaining the general thing about what had happened, realizing that they'd need to understand this when they ran into future visions, as Dogamy knew he wasn't exactly first choice for the others.

Frisk sat on the edge of Muffet's island of webs, keeping the soul against their chest. They didn't absorb it—though Frisk didn't even have that thought occur to them, and even if it had, they weren't sure how, or if they could even actually do it. Frisk simply treated the soul like a prized teddy bear, a long lost friend, which, in some ways, was exactly what it was.

Once things were sorted out, the group decided to have lunch, but afterwards, they were then on the move again, with Muffet slowly falling to the back of the group. Napstablook took notice of that, and eventually fell back to her. "Hey…" the ghost quietly murmured, getting her attention. "…is there something wrong?"

Muffet shook her head slowly. "No…I'm just thinking," she assured.

"Do you…want to talk about it?" Muffet shrugged and the ghost smiled just slightly. "If we keep quiet, they won't hear us…and I won't tell them anything." Even though Dogamy had good hearing, he was currently talking to Gerson as they moved along.

The spider monster was quiet, thinking it over, trying to decide on what she wanted to do, before finally speaking. "It occurred to me…when it comes to drawing souls out of visions…I won't be able to help. I don't know any of these souls well enough to help them."

"Oh…I guess…I understand," Napstablook murmured. "I don't really know any of them that well either…" The ghost looked quietly back to her. "But…um…I think it's still a good thing you came, even if you can't help with the visions, after all…isn't Grillby close with Sans? If you hadn't come with us, getting Grillby through here would have been really hard…actually…had you not come along, I don't think we could have gotten down here in the first place…"

Napstablook was right. There probably wasn't enough rope lying around for just one to get down into the Abyss at a time, let alone the whole group, and then, when they finally got down here, they were quick to learn that there wasn't any true 'land' for Grillby to walk on—they knew they were going to an ocean, but they had expected a bit more ground than what they had.

If Muffet hadn't come along, Grillby would have either had to be taken back up, wait in the chamber, or be carried by Dogamy, which would have been a bit of a risk the entire time, for if something happened to Dogamy, Grillby would likely have his flames extinguished. This wasn't perfect, but Muffet's webs were certainly helping. Besides that, they would have had to camp in shallow water as well, now that the ghost had thought about it.

"We may not be able to help with the visions," Napstablook murmured. "However…we have other ways of helping out at least," they pointed out.

Muffet smiled just slightly. "I suppose you're right…at least we have that," she said, knowing the ghost had meant their ability to stay aware while the others slept or powered down, watching out for danger that could try to attack them while they were vulnerable. However, deep down, Muffet wished she could help just a little more, knowing that retrieving the souls could perhaps start to fix the damage that had been done.

At the front of the group, Mettaton glanced to Gerson and Dogamy, who had been talking quietly. The robot listened, knowing they had been talking about the visions and what exactly to do when they found more. However, he was surprised then when they were done, and Dogamy moved back to check on the child, that Gerson called him over.

He drew back and Gerson looked up at him. "You're the one with the scanners and whatchamacallits, were you able to detect anything different near that vision?" the turtle asked.

Mettaton shook his head. "No…everything is always the same. I'm barely getting anything on my sensors down here. Like Dogamy said, there's basically a whole lot of nothing. The vision didn't give off anything I could pick up."

"That's bothersome…" Gerson murmured. "…what about 'him'?"

"He shows up…" Mettaton murmured, knowing who the turtle meant. "He's hazy for me though."

"Hazy?" Gerson asked.

"Like he's not all there—or that I'm seeing him through fog."

Gerson glanced ahead at the skeleton monster that was leading the way. "Well that's certainly not suspicious."

"Your sarcasm certainly isn't drenching your words…"

"Heh." The turtle glanced up with a tired smirk. "It certainly isn't. On another note…what about that dragon?"

"He's on the sensors all right…just not until he was right there, and then…he's strange. I'm not sure how to describe how he shows up to me…" Mettaton gave a hum, thinking about it, trying to find words for it. "He's there…and at the same time…he's not. It's not a haze, he's just…both and neither at the same time."

"Well that makes sense."

"I'm beginning to think nothing down here is supposed to be," Mettaton replied.

Gerson couldn't help a snicker. "Probably not," he agreed. Then, there was a long pause. "…what about Papyrus?"

Mettaton glanced over to Frisk, looking at the soul. "Well, we ghosts always have an easier time seeing souls due to our state of being…but…" Mettaton watched it pulse gently in a rhythm as Frisk carried it. "Like this, down here…his soul seems a little stronger."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, our souls are nearly colorless, but Papyrus's has that orange glow around his—if just faintly. I'm just guessing though, it could be some other effect down here."

Gerson looked over as well; barely able to see the orange glow, but he realized what Mettaton was getting at. The soul was producing a color on its own without using magic, and that was quite remarkable, for a monster.

"Hrrrm…" Gerson murmured to himself, wondering if the souls would still have that effect if they were to leave the Abyss. However, their conversation dropped as they continued, both lost in their thoughts, and it wasn't until Mettaton announced it was technically dinnertime when the group finally stopped. They had their meal, as they set up camp, and once more, another 'night' fell upon them.

Not all slept well though.

Chara panted heavily, leaning forward, hands on their knees. They felt searing heat, like the fever they had when they were dying, slipping away from the reality they knew…and yet they shivered from the cold, able to see their breath. "Not yet…" they murmured, their crimson eyes looking up at the red aura that was always changing, never staying the same.

Their eyes narrowed at the taint—the corruption—that was somehow something they could have turned into. Unlike the normal Chara—in this place—they were just a red aura, whereas Chara looked mostly as they did when they were alive. The only thing that didn't show Chara as 'normal' was the red glow that was around them.

At least it wasn't like looking in a mirror. Chara huffed and stood fully. "You're staying right here," they stated quietly. "Like Hell I'm gonna let you resurface. You want control…" Chara huffed, fingers twitching as a red light came around their hand and formed a dagger that they gripped tightly. "Guess you're just going to have to get through me."

The corruption hissed in agitation, before lunging, holding no definite shape. Chara's eyes snapped open wide, their red pupils going to pinpricks as they raised their blade, a silent, intense rage building inside the long deceased human. There was something dangerous in the Chara of this world, a rage that had been burning and brooding for years, and now, it could be released on something.

Chara gave a cry, jabbing their blade into the red creature. It gave a shriek, and then dispersed around the blade. Chara gasped as it plowed into them, knocking them down. Chara snarled in anger and swung their blade again and again, dispersing it long enough to get back up. Chara spun to face it, panting, feeling sweat running down their face. It was hard to focus…to think…to do anything like this.

The human felt that their body might give out at any moment, that the heat of the fever, but the chill of the place would finally become too taxing. They wobbled, but remained standing, hoping that somehow, they could hold on. They had to…if they let the corruption get past them…

They breathed shakily, and raised their blade, pointing it at the corruption, though the blade quivered, unable to be held still. "That your best…?" Chara managed; their voice barely a breath. It was burning…when would it end…? This haze was hard to think through, but they had to…to…stand…their ground…just a while…longer… …right?

Chara took a step forward, staggering a little, but yet, they smiled. They remembered that kind of feeling. Not fully functioning, but still able to terrify…but…that wasn't their memory. That was the Corruption's, and Chara pulled back in alarm when they realized that. While in Flowey, the three…or was it four? Their thoughts were one; Chara knew that if they reached out, they would find Flowey and the broken soul.

The memory they saw…they were fighting Sans, and…they were dying, bloodied by the bones that impaled them, but still, they moved forward, staggering with every step, their breath hitched, a smile on their face as they reached for the skeleton as he warily stepped away, waiting for them to finally die from their wounds.

In some ways, it frightened Chara…that's what they became? A terrifying beast that slaughtered no matter how damaged…? However, in other ways…it was enticing. Would that have been all their power? However…Chara thought through the haze, and glared at the Corruption. "You…you are something far worse than anything I've ever despised…" So with that, they continued their fight.

In the middle of the night, Flowey woke, and fell over in his pot, somewhat grateful that he didn't make a sound due to hitting soft but strong threads. With a raspy moan, he inched wormed to the edge, and dunked his head into the water, needing the cooling sensation. How long…how long could he do this?

He was too tired, so he wasn't the one to notice Gaster as he drifted over to the group, kneeling by where the child slept in a sleeping bag, the monster soul floating over them. Gaster hesitated, and then slowly reached out for it…only for something to poke themselves between him and the soul. "What…are you doing…?" Napstablook asked.

Gaster drew his hand back while the ghost rose up fully between him and the soul. They were quiet, and the ghost's eyes narrowed before they drew out their cell phone, activating it. "I want to know," the ghost stated firmly.

The skeleton monster raised his hands in surrender, as if to show he meant no harm. "I wanted to make sure the soul was all right."

"…I'm sorry; you make it sound a little suspicious."

"I suppose I do."

Napstablook looked at Gaster silently for several long moments. "How can you not be alive or dead?" Napstablook asked, deciding to fish around for some answers if Gaster was going to behave in this manner.

"I was in an accident," Gaster murmured, and Napstablook noticed then his hands closed, the fingers tucking into the holes in his palms, and that the cracks in his skull seemed to become more evident. "Instead of killing me—it did this. I suppose one way to put it is that I'm in a 'limbo'. I can't interact with the living, but I can't be classified as dead due to how my soul remains very well intact with my body."

"How long have you been like this then…?"

Gaster averted his gaze, and Napstablook felt he was looking at Papyrus's soul. "…time is difficult to track…but far too long, regardless of the length of time I've truly been like this."

"Is there any way to fix it…?"

"Not that I know of…"

"Oh…" Napstablook murmured. "Um…"

"I rather not be asked anymore questions," Gaster stated. "When this is all over, I'll have to fulfill my promise. I don't want to form anything with anyone if I can help it."

"What makes you think you will?"

Gaster waved it aside. "Talking about myself means you get to know me. I think I rather just leave myself as a person of questions. If I reveal things, you'll learn, and if you learn, well…you can get hurt, and there's enough damage because of me as is. I'd like to keep it to a minimum down here."

Napstablook frowned. "I respect secrets, but…you might be hiding too many from us, and…I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you about it, but…it's hard to trust someone who's hiding so much away from everyone."

"I'm well aware," Gaster replied. "But I can exist with that. It's better than the alternative." Gaster didn't want to explain who he had been. He didn't want pity, or mercy that couldn't be truly given, and…he didn't want to form attachments with the group, because when this was over, he might as well be dead.

They stopped the conversation, but Napstablook ended up hovering over the child, making it clear to Gaster that he was to stay away from them. Morning came, and eventually, everyone awoke, and had breakfast, aside from Flowey who insisted on just having a long drink. Though Frisk had to wonder if that was a good idea…and they were thinking that maybe he should have been kept at home.

After breakfast, they were on the move again. Muffet glanced worriedly at Grillby, who walked, arms folded, staring straight ahead, his flames crackling softly in a way that unnerved her. She hadn't heard his flames crackle until they came down here, and now, it was an almost constant thing in his waking hours.

"Are you all right?" Muffet jerked her head up in surprise to see Dogamy looking down at her. However, he seemed to have followed her gaze beforehand, and had an idea. "Is Grillby's current behavior making you worry?"

"I'm not sure if 'worry' is the word I'm looking for…" she murmured. "I think I'm just concerned…why is he…?"

"Fire elementals flames crackle in different ways in response to emotions. If you heard him laugh, you could hear it crackle." Muffet blinked, thinking that over. The closest she got to a laugh was his amused chuckle over how much she hated the cold. "However, in this case, he's agitated."

"He wasn't doing it when we first came…so it's not the ocean."

Dogamy shook his head. "He doesn't like Gaster. He knows that Gaster isn't saying the full truth, or dances around it. He doesn't like that he's keeping secrets…or when people hold back from saying things."

Muffet paused at that last part. "What do you mean by that?"

"Grillby is a listener at heart," Dogamy murmured. "And with his job, he's good at reading into people, knowing when they have something on their mind, and what they're truly feeling." Dogamy smiled. "He sometimes let customers stay after closing so he could talk to them—or just let them talk because they needed someone to talk to, and Grillby isn't the type to repeat things he heard."

"It sounds like the town likes to go to him when they're upset…"

"Pretty much," Dogamy said with a breath of amusement. "He's a good host to his customers, and that's returned to him with their returning patronage."

"Hmm…I suppose I can see why he's not too pleased with Gaster though…" The skeleton was not a talker, and though she couldn't say for sure, she had to wonder if perhaps, Grillby was struggling to read him, to figure out what his angle was. The fire elemental knew there was more than met the eye, but because he didn't know which way it went, he remained distrusting of the monster, half expecting for Gaster to betray the group sooner or later.

Muffet thought about it, and then considered that perhaps, if they got the chance, she'd talk to him and see if, for once, he could talk it out to someone, instead of being the listener for a change.

They walked for a while longer, before Gaster suddenly raised his hand, signaling for them to wait, before vanishing into the black. A few minutes later, he returned. "It's Alphys. Who would be best for this one?" Frisk stepped forward, the soul still following.

"Please…" Mettaton step forward. "Allow me to come," he said, looking up at Gaster squarely.

Gaster paused, and then nodded. "Very well." With that, Mettaton scooped up the child, and followed after him into the vision.


	25. Finish the Thought

Mettaton wasn't quite sure what to expect as they neared the vision, but he thankfully didn't have to deal with the ground changing to a drastic degree like Dogamy had. The three monsters looked around as the vision changed, and Mettaton found he was no longer walking in shallow water, but on a dry and thankfully smooth floor.

It was dark—but not as the dark as the abyss—in fact, after being in the pitch black for so long, it was a drastic improvement. Mettaton frowned and looked about, his scanners activating in hopes of figuring out what was there. He was half surprised when it actually worked, and he paused. "Is this a…"

"A science lab," Gaster murmured. "It's her underground one…"

Mettaton glanced over in surprise when Gaster stated that, but before he could say anything, they heard terrifying screeching sounds from up ahead. Without a moment's delay, they raced down one of the dark, unlit halls, before Mettaton jerked. "Wait—it's this way!" He shot down another corridor in the maze like place, the sounds becoming louder and louder. Mettaton slid past the entry way, but caught the frame with his hand as he slid to a halt, and then peered in.

Frisk gasped, and hugged Papyrus's soul to them in fear and alarm. Alphys was there, stumbling away from melting forms as she breathed rapidly in the midst of a panic attack. "Oh gods…" she whimpered, watching the terrors unfold as she fell back. Alphys wanted to look away…but a part of her couldn't do so.

Unintelligible shapes morphed in the back of the room, and the others knew what this was. The day the Amalgamates were formed. There were screeches and howls as the monsters tried to pull apart from one another, but to no avail. They clawed at what they could get their hands on, trying to detach themselves from the others while they were still mostly individuals.

The screaming and crying continued; becoming distorted as the individuals started to become a single entity. Papyrus's soul pulsed rapidly, and then flew into the hood of Sans's coat, hiding in there, knowing it was vulnerable, and unable to contribute anything for the time being.

It was over…the transformations, at least. There were gurgles and snarls as the Amalgamates started to attempt moving around, stunned and confused—and mostly angry as they tried to piece things together. It hurt—something was causing this—where was it!? …and they spotted Alphys on the floor, staring up at them in terror.

She gasped, crawling backwards under a table as they approached her, with Endogeny lowering its head to peer at her in her hiding place. The small lizard covered her face, waiting, unsure of what they would do to her, but almost certain that it wouldn't end well. They weren't in their right mind…and even if they were…

Alphys slowly backed away, her little heart hammering as the canine creature gave a low rumbling growl, and the canine faces glared at her. It hurt—it was her—but what were they to do!?

The lizard curled up tight, shaking and shuddering, crying softly as the creatures began to surround her hiding place. What had she done—she thought—she thought…but it was too good to be true, wasn't it? For the monsters to just…wake up…as if nothing was wrong. Alphys felt a stab of guilt. Perhaps she should of seen it coming…perhaps she could have prevented the mess.

Mettaton tensed, preparing to rush forward, but Gaster grabbed his shoulder. "You can't interact with the world yet, there's no opening down in this place."

"But Alphys—"

"Will be fine. She can't truly be hurt here."

Mettaton watched worriedly as the creatures crept in close, but then, everyone, even Frisk and Papyrus's soul jumped in alarm, as a phone began to ring. Alphys shrieked, and the Amalgamates scattered, rushing past the three outside of the room, racing in different directions to get away from the noise.

Alphys yanked the phone out of her pocket, but it slipped out of her grasp and she fumbled, grabbing it a few times before finally getting a firm grasp on it. The loud ringing was familiar to Frisk and Mettaton, as it was the theme of that anime she adored so much. Alphys shuddered, looking at it nervously.

"Oh gods—oh gods—oh gods—it's them—why now!?" she practically squeaked. "Oh—oh—oh—maybe I shouldn't answer—but—what happens if I don't—I—uh—I…" She gave a groan, and looked away from the phone as she pressed the button. "H—hello…?"

There was a voice on the other end that Frisk didn't recognize, but Mettaton stiffened as he heard it. "Right! Um—um—just give me a few minutes, and I'll come up and show you what I've got so far…" She quickly hung up and with a nervous moan; she darted off, while Gaster frowned.

The scene around them changed, and the three grimaced as the light shined brightly, blinding them briefly. However, when they could look again, they found they were in the upper lab, with Alphys nervously approaching the door, hesitating, before opening it. "H—hi…"

A pink ghost flew into the doorway, practically beaming. "Hello Alphys~" they called merrily, their eyes glimmering happily. "I didn't call at a bad time, did I?" they asked. "Once I saw the e-mail—oh, I just couldn't wait!"

"No—not at all—no bad times here!" Alphys assured. "Um…are you uh…ready to see it?"

The ghost nodded energetically, and with that, Alphys led them up the stairs to her room. "Um, like I said, it's just the casing, but uh—um—this is what I—uh—have…"

The three moved, following the vision up there, and that was when they found that on the work table, was Mettaton's 'X' form. Frisk blinked, finally realizing it. The pink ghost was him before he took a form. The ghost flew over, staring at in awe. "Wow…" they breathed. "Alphys…it looks amazing!"

Alphys looked down. "L—like I said, still need to work on the wiring and batteries, but…this is what it'll look like…"

The ghost nodded, and phased into it briefly, before coming back out, laughing happily. "Thank you, Alphys!" A bit of a smile came to her, but it faltered, and the ghost noticed. "Alphys…is something wrong? You haven't been acting like yourself…"

"Oh—I—uh—I was just…nervous. About…showing you…no biggie…"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Frisk paused and glanced down, noticing that Mettaton was clenching his hand tight, and they could almost hear the strain of metal. _Come on,_ Mettaton muttered inwardly. _She's hiding the truth—notice!_ However, the ghost had accepted that, knowing Alphys was shy about her ideas, so this wasn't a surprise. She was easily flustered and was constantly self-conscious. How was he to know back then anyways? That she was hiding something so dark just below them.

Besides…there was another reason to be so nervous that day. The ghost laughed. "I should probably be going, you mentioned Undyne was coming over…" Alphys's eyes widened and she clutched her head.

"Oh my god! I forgot about that! Oh—gods—gods—what do I do—!?" She flew over to her closest, rummaging around in the vain attempt of finding a clean lab coat.

The ghost flew over. "You know you could wear that dre—"

"Anything but that!"

The ghost sighed in exasperated amusement. "Alphys, darling… Relax. Just straighten up your lab coat, you'll be fine."

"But I—"

"You'll be fine, don't worry so much." There was a loud thunderous knock that caused Alphys to jump. "Oh, that's her!" The ghost flew off. "Knock her dead~!"

"What!? NOOO!" Alphys shouted at the retreating ghost, flushing red. Nervously, the lizard headed down, but the three remained upstairs, where they could safely watch things unfold, but…Mettaton was noticing that events were jumbled, and not happening in the right order. He remembered teasing her like that…but it wasn't when she had shown him the casing.

Shakily, she answered the door, and to the group's surprise—for the most part—Undyne was in full battle armor, and even had her helmet on. "U—Undyne…"

"Where are the patients?" she asked bluntly.

Alphys froze. "Wh—what…?"

"Where are the fallen down!?" Undyne demanded, causing Alphys to stumble away.

"I—they—uh—I—please…"

A spear formed, and it was pointed at Alphys's throat. "I won't ask again," she growled. "Where are they, Alphys!?"

Alphys lowered her head, refusing to look at Undyne as she turned away. "Th—they're downstairs… I—I'm sorry, Un—" She gave a gasp as she was shoved away, the fish warrior moving past her to find the fallen, and soon…she would know…and soon, there wouldn't be anything worth fighting for.

She was tired of being a failure…she couldn't save the fallen…she couldn't free her people…and she had to hide it under a mountain of lies so that no one could know…and she rather leave quickly, than to let it slowly crush her. She didn't want to live through seeing what few 'friends'—if she could call them that—abandon her in disgust and anger…or to forget about her and leave her.

Gaster frowned, and then suddenly grabbed the child out of Mettaton's arms. Mettaton gasped in surprise but Gaster explained himself. "There's an opening—take it now!" Gaster couldn't shove the robot, but thankfully the robot moved in the direction Gaster was nudging him, and because of Dogamy's explanation, he understood what was needed…for the most part.

As Mettaton merged with his vision self, he jolted, his system making a few loud complaints at the action. He wasn't quite sure what it was fussing over, but his best guess was that in the vision, there was only a casing, where as he was fully completed in the real world. He jerked, a spasm going through him, before finally, everything settled down.

He looked up as Frisk questioned his wellbeing. The robot smiled tiredly. "I'm fine, darling," he assured as he shakily rose. They paused, and the vision changed once more, and they found themselves back in the lower lab. Frisk looked around, and demanded to be put down. They were tired of being carried about. They wanted to help for once, and it was driving them mad that there was no place for them to slide into the visions like Dogamy and Mettaton had.

However, they refused to be coddled and completely useless, so they started to search around for Alphys. It took a bit, but, eventually, the group found her. Mettaton poke his head cautiously around the corner, spotting her sitting on one of the beds for her patients. Laying its head in her lap was Endogeny, but Alphys was nervous as she shakily stroked its head, as if expecting it to bite her hand off.

The other Amalgamates could be heard elsewhere in the lab, their moans echoing throughout the place, sending shivers up Frisk's spine. This place would always give them the creeps… Mettaton gathered his thoughts, and then stepped into the room. "Alphys?"

The lizard jumped with a yelp, the canine instantly scrambling down a hall. "M—Mettaton!? How did you—why did you—it's not what it looks like—I uh—I um…"

He held up a hand quietly. "Alphys, calm down," he coaxed. He slowly came over, and sat down on the opposite end of the bed, leaving some space between them as she scooted away a bit, her tail coming forward as she clutched it in her fingers. "I already know about all this…"

"Wh—what?" she stammered, looking at him nervously.

"Let's not concerned ourselves with how I know," the robot murmured. "And, Alphys…I'm not going to be mad either."

"…how can you not be mad?" she managed, her voice tight. "All of them—they're…I don't even know…I can't fix them—they're stuck like this…they're going to stay like that. Constantly fused with one another…unable to break apart…they can't leave either…"

Mettaton frowned. "Alphys, they could leave if you would let them out of the lab."

The lizard flinched. "That…that wasn't what I…meant by that…" She shook her head. "Never mind…it's not important."

"…why didn't you tell anyone?" Mettaton asked.

"How could I!?" she exclaimed. "All those patients—how was I supposed to tell anyone!? 'King Asgore, there was an accident and now all the patients are fused with one another!?'" She grasped her head tight. "I couldn't tell anyone! I couldn't—they'd know, and then—I—I…" She broke down. "I wouldn't be able to handle it," she sobbed. "I couldn't handle everyone knowing what I had done."

She shuddered, and it seemed, she had forgotten he was even there. "I can't even handle trying to keep it a secret…every moment consists of holding my breath, hoping no one finds out…but they're going to find out—I—I don't want…" She paused, falling silent for a few moments. "I don't want to be there when that happens…" she whispered. "I can't…I need to get away."

Mettaton froze, as it suddenly clicked. She didn't mean… His eyes widened. She had meant… "A…Alphys," he managed, but she wasn't listening. "Alphys. Alphys!" Panicking a little at even the thought that she would…he couldn't even finish the thought. He grabbed her, jerking her to him as she gasped in alarm.

"Alphys—look at me!" Mettaton demanded. At first she wouldn't, but now that she had scared him, he wasn't about to back down and just let that go. "Alphys." A hand gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to finally look up at him, even when she tried to advert her gaze. "Look at me."

She shut her eyes, but that didn't make him go away, and finally, after another minute, she slowly them, looking up at the robot, trembling in his hold. "Alphys. Did you want them to fuse together?"

"What!?" she asked, going pale. "I would never—"

"Did you do everything you could to stop it?"

"Y—yes…"

"Then have you really done anything wrong?" Mettaton asked quietly. "You were told they were fallen…they were dying Alphys. You couldn't have known the consequences for what you were doing until it happened. You didn't want it to happen, and you tried to stop it…is that not enough? And when you think about it…Alphys, you saved lives."

"How can you call this saving lives!?" she demanded, tears flowing down her face as her voice betrayed her guilt and heartbreak.

"Because I know what happens if people find out…you would return them to their homes…the canines would happily return to their pack…you would reunite the Snowdrakes…and, most importantly to me…Shyren would get to have her sister back—someone she desperately needed back in her life."

"But…they're still stuck like that…"

"And you've been trying to save them," Mettaton murmured, before breathing out quietly. "I'm so sorry, Alphys…I wished you had…had a friend you could have told." The robot's eyes drooped. "I wished I had been a better friend to you."

"It's fine…" she mumbled.

"Is it?" Mettaton asked, now being the one to look away. "I got so caught up in what I was doing, I forgot about my family, my friends…the one who had helped me get there in the first place. I wanted to fix that Alphys, but then…well, this is my last chance at the moment, and I want to make things right."

"What's there to make right…I can't fix anything this time…"

"Alphys, you need more confidence in yourself," Mettaton stated quietly as he looked back to her. "You can do great things, but when something goes wrong…you let it crush you, and then it gets harder and harder to get you back up each and every time." The robot stood and turned to face her, holding out a hand. "Alphys, do you remember what happened?"

She nodded, trembling as her hand went to her chest. "I t—tried to…g—get it away…"

"And you did. Blooky found the file you sent, and Sans was able to devise a plan…and it even worked. You helped save the monster kingdom."

Alphys stared up at him. "I…I…I sa—It worked?"

Mettaton nodded, but then she drooped. "Undyne…" she murmured quietly.

The robot paused, realizing that Alphys wouldn't have known, and would assume she was the only one that died, however, he knew he was getting somewhere with her, and hopefully, he could draw her out. "She was set on avenging you…"

Alphys breathed out shakily, looking ready to break again. Mettaton took a moment, gathering up his patience. "Alphys…I know you've been picked up a few times before from where you have fallen…" He moved his hand closer. "Let me help you up this time…"

She looked at his hand, up to him, and then back down. She closed her eyes, as if to think, before finally looking up, and slowly, hesitantly taking his hand. Mettaton smiled, and gently pulled her up onto her feet. She swayed, but caught herself, but she looked up in confusion, unsure of what came next.

Mettaton gave her an assuring smile and moved back to the doorway the other two were watching from. As he exited the room, Frisk reached out, their hand brushing Alphys's, but simply phasing through. However, Alphys froze, and turned around, eyes widening, but she looked through the child. "Alphys?" Mettaton questioned.

"Is there…" The monster squinted. "Is…someone there…?" she asked.

"…there is," Mettaton replied. "Can you see the little darling?" he asked as Frisk looked up hopefully.

"I…I don't know…I…" she reached out, and Frisk smiled, grabbing Alphys's hand, and this time, there was no phasing as their hand met one another's. Alphys gasped, almost drawing her hand back on instinct, but pausing when something started to come into sight. "F…Frisk…?" she asked hesitantly.

The child gave a cry and plowed forward, hugging her tightly, with Papyrus's soul slipping free and flying up above Alphys's head, causing her to gasp in alarm. "What in the…?" Frisk shook their head against her. She didn't need to know…they really didn't want her to… Hesitantly, the nervous monster leaned forward, hugging Frisk. "…don't be silly…" she murmured. "You couldn't have missed me that much."

Frisk looked up with an unhappy grunt and hugged her tighter as if to prove her wrong, and refused to let go. A few minutes later, Alphys looked up sheepishly. "Uh…Mettaton…a little help, please?"

"And disappoint our little darling? Please, I'm not heartless in any sense of the word," Mettaton replied. "You're just going to have to deal with it." Alphys sighed.

"Fine…how do I move…?"

"Just pick them up."

"…pick them up?"

"It's not rocket science, Alphys," the robot reasoned. "They're a human child. Just scoop them up and move…or wait until they fall asleep."

"Maybe I could—"

"Alphys."

"Ohhh…fine…"

With that, the lizard scooped up the human, while Gaster shook his head. Frisk knew what would happen…but perhaps they just wanted to have that moment while they could, for who knew if and when they could truly fix this mess.

As they moved, Frisk murmured gently to Alphys, whispering truths and promises of seeing friends and family again…to see Undyne again. They stepped out of the vision, but Mettaton had been prepared and swiftly caught Frisk. They looked up to see another soul pulsing tiredly with a faint yellow glow around it.

Papyrus's hovered by it for a moment, and then they both came to Frisk, who held the two close, sighing in relief, and a bit of content. They had Alphys back.


	26. My Actions Alone

It didn't take long to get back to the group, and the others spotted them quickly—if not for Gaster sticking out of the black like a sore thumb—it was the glowing souls that Frisk held, the only other light source aside from Grillby's flames. Seeing as Frisk wasn't much of a talker, they moved off to do their own little thing, while Mettaton did his best to explain what had happened.

After that, and a meal, the group continued through the blackness as Gaster led the way to whoever the next soul might be. Napstablook, however, slowly drifted beside their cousin. "Mettaton…?" they asked quietly.

The robot turned his head. "Yes, Blooky?"

"Do…do you think she'll be okay…?" Napstablook didn't know Alphys all that well, but knew about her and their cousin.

Mettaton was quiet for a little bit. "I hope so," he finally replied. "It's...difficult to tell. I can't believe I've never noticed…"

"Noticed what exactly…?"

"We could have lost Alphys much sooner…she was teetering over that edge."

At first, Napstablook didn't quite understand, but it slowly clicked. "Ohhh…oh no…" Napstablook moaned. "That's horrible…do you think anyone…?"

"I hope I talked enough sense back in, but…" Mettaton thought back to that moment, and a part of him knew it well. "My words…my actions alone aren't enough to persuade her. Perhaps if I had been…but it's a little late for that. I can only hope to help a bit…"

"Then…what do we do?" Napstablook asked.

"We find Undyne," Mettaton stated firmly. "That's the one soul I have confidence in bringing sense and logic to Alphys."

"And she's supposed to be the scientist…"

Mettaton made a soft sound of amusement. "That she is, but…even the best scientists don't always see the obvious answers even if you wave it in front of their faces…"

"Poor Alphys…" Napstablook murmured, shaking their head slightly.

The robot smiled. "It can be charming at times, but…" They really needed to find Undyne, because she, out of all monsters, would probably be the one to sway her over now… He had to make sure of that. He wouldn't come to fish her out of the Abyss just so that she could go back in it a little while later.

He thought about it, his thoughts wandering. A mindset like that…wasn't easily mended. It would take time and patience…and quite a bit of work, seeing how much Alphys buried herself under guilt. He knew Undyne was a great source of motivation—he had even seen her get Alphys out of one of her brooding moments with relative ease, but…would Undyne alone be enough?

The way Alphys spoke…she sounded like she had already given up, and Mettaton wasn't sure how one could bring someone back from that. The more he thought about it, the more he was certain that he had to research it when they got back…and another part of himself even tossed the idea in of turning the premise into a show or a movie.

He shook his head, tossing the idea away…for the time being. He had to focus on solving these issues first, and then he could worry about entertainment again.

The rest of the 'day' went by without incident, until Mettaton alerted the others of the lateness. They stopped again for dinner, and to set up 'camp' for the night. After that, most went to sleep while Gaster opted to scout ahead for the next soul. For Muffet that night, sleep didn't come easily to her, and as she looked up, she noticed that Grillby's light was rather noticeable.

She sat up, poking her head out to see him sitting in the center of her island of webs, staring off into the blackness. She hesitated briefly, and then came forward. "Sir…?" she asked softly.

The fire monster turned in surprise, not realizing she had come out. "Miss. Muffet," he greeted calmly. "I'm sorry…did I wake you?"

Muffet shook her head. "Hardly…I'd have to of been asleep for that to happen."

"I suppose I couldn't be the only one finding it difficult to sleep," he murmured.

"You…have been sleeping, at least?" she asked in concern.

He nodded. "It's a bit comforting when we have someone who can't fall asleep watching out for trouble." Muffet took her gaze up, able to catch sight of the ghost floating well above the group, and then looked back to the fire elemental.

"That's true," she murmured, and then looked to him. "Sir, if I may…"

"Hm?"

"I'd like to talk to you for a bit—seeing as neither of us would be going to bed anytime soon."

The fire monster was quiet for several long moments, before he nodded slowly and adjusted his position so that there was a bit more space. Muffet smiled slightly, and then kneeled daintily—then again; Grillby noticed that most of what she did was 'dainty'. Every movement and gesture was precise and practiced. As if she had rehearsed for everything that was happening. For the most part…

They were quiet for a few moments, staring off into the infinite black. "…what is it that you wished to speak to me about…?" he finally asked.

"I…noticed that you seemed…how to put it…agitated with that 'lost soul', Sir."

Grillby sighed slowly, bringing a hand to his face, partially to adjust his glasses. "I was trying to not have that be noticeable…but the downside of being like this is that it's usually easy to pick up on our emotions."

"I find that a little ironic, Sir. You seem pretty decent at hiding most of them. This was the first time I really noticed because of your flames crackling." It was odd, how, without having a very noticeable face, that Grillby could still convey a lot of emotions, especially even when his glasses hid his eyes.

Grillby looked over, slowly tilting his head. "Is that so?" he murmured. "I don't really notice."

Muffet couldn't help a giggle. "Perhaps it's more noticeable for me, Sir, as I'm seeing you from a very outside perspective. You're very…reserved, I believe is the word I'm looking for."

"And the point of that term would be, Miss. Muffet?"

"Nobody knows what you're thinking," she said, smiling. "And really, that can be a good thing, not to mention that you seem to keep a level head for the most part…" She paused, thinking back over it. "Even when that dragon came…you just stood your ground."

"To back down would have shown cowardice," Grillby murmured. "And that was the last thing I needed to show that dragon."

"You're very brave, Sir."

"On the contrary, I was rather…worried," he said, taking a moment to carefully select the word he wanted. "The dragon did raise some good points."

"But you still came," Muffet pointed out. "You knew we were going to an ocean—even if you didn't know there wouldn't be any dry ground whatsoever when we initially started."

She heard faint, soft, and gentle crackling as he chuckled lightly. "Bravery doesn't mean 'without fear', Miss. Muffet. It means to continue doing things, despite fear. Coming down here…talking back against that dragon…those are terrifying things—especially for me. I am as vulnerable as the dragon stated."

Muffet glanced to the black waters that surrounded them, the water that could take Grillby with a touch. The dragon that could probably blow him out like a candle if he so chose…the monster might as well be a tiny candle flame trying to survive by floating on an ocean. Eventually, he'd go under.

Two of Muffet's hands closed tight around one another when she thought about it. Her conversation with Napstablook reassured her however, that she did have a purpose to be down here. She didn't want the fire elemental to perish. "On the bright side," she murmured. "We're at least a fourth of the way through here."

"There's that at least," he agreed, his gaze going over to where the child slept, the two souls floating silently over them. "There's something odd about all of this…"

"What do you mean, Sir?"

He shrugged. "It's likely just me," he said, brushing it aside. "I'm wary enough as is with this place; I don't need to put worries on others."

Muffet folded her arms. "You better not be avoiding answering because I'm a 'little lady'," she warned. She was used to that, but despite her dainty ways, and her rare wish to fight, she didn't see that as a reason to be treated like a little girl. She didn't appreciate being sheltered if there was something going on.

Grillby shook his head. "Of course not," he said quickly. "I just don't think it is worth concerning you over it." With Undyne being the Captain of the Royal Guard, Grillby didn't really put Muffet into that viewpoint she had assumed. He was a gentleman, perhaps, but he didn't think like that. Even though the way she carried herself could make one assume that she should be kept away from such things.

Muffet blinked her eyes slowly. "I'll be the judge of that," she replied simply. Somehow, Grillby felt she had to deal with more narrow-minded thinking from others, and was determined to show she could handle things, not that Grillby didn't think she was formidable, considering she fought the human and came out without a scratch.

Even her threads alluded to her abilities, due to how long they lasted, and how she had been going for days, suspending the webs over the water with her magic. He knew that Muffet had quite the endurance to last this long, though he wasn't quite sure how the purple magic worked. He just knew that she had probably been the best choice amongst that magic type. This could have been a more complicated journey without her.

"Don't you think, Miss. Muffet…" he murmured. "That this might be a little too easy?"

He felt it was too simple, that they had already gotten two without any true hassle. Perhaps he just expected it to be more difficult…but he wasn't about to lower his guard.

While they continued to talk, the flower slept, but inside of him was turmoil.

Chara coughed harshly on hands and knees, clutching their throat with one hand, the other supporting them while clutching their weapon. They were so weak…could they even get back up this time? They shuddered, their body unwilling to get up in order to take another step. Was this the end of the line?

A familiar white furred hand rested on their shoulder. "…rest." Chara jerked. The hand was his…but that voice was not. Asriel stepped forth, but Chara knew better. It was that soulless husk, Flowey, using Asriel's form. A bit of them hated that, feeling like he was stealing their friend's face…even if he was them, it just felt wrong.

The little monster stepped forward, head lowered. "Heh…think you're getting out that easily? I've had enough of just letting you run amuck while I sit there." The child grinned like the _Cheshire Cat_ from _Alice in Wonderland_. "Well, this is still a world of kill or be killed for me, it would seem. So let's go at it while we're on somewhat equal levels."

He snapped his fingers, magic crackling on his fingertips, but the magic was odd, never staying a single color for long, but there was reason for that. Asriel died before he was old enough to learn his primary magic type. He didn't know what it was. So, due to his collecting of souls, he knew the general idea of harnessing all the types.

The monster smiled as the corruption stirred angrily, not liking his interference right when it was about to break free. Oh well, he couldn't last forever either. The only thing Flowey had done was bought everyone some more time…that could be a few days…or a few hours. However, the soulless husk was determined to at least fight back, because he had everything to lose at this point.

The corruption flew at the monster, only to get blasted with orange magic. He jumped back, as it flew at them, and formed a pale blue shield that the red aura crashed into. "Think I'm going to make it easy?" he demanded as he stepped forward. "I'll kill you a million times over!" he threatened, the vague memory of his fight with Frisk playing in his mind.

The blackness of that void…his threats to kill them over and over…why not use them here in the vain hope of scaring the corruption? It would at least give him confidence, and heaven knew he needed it to fight this…this demonic thing that dared to call itself human. It wasn't even worthy of being called a soul at this point.

It made another lunge at them, but the smirk on his muzzle remained as he sent out purple magic, the strings catching it and sending it flying away. He risked leaving the human to drive it further back, blasts of other magic leaving his fingers as he continued to attack it.

Suddenly, red vapor came around his throat. He gave a choked gasp, while Chara looked up in horror. It might be Flowey, but it was their friend's form that was choking, desperately clawing at the vapor as he tried to free himself. Then, he was tossed away like a rag doll, dropping into the darkness.

The corruption came back to Chara, but there was a loud rumbling, and then, between the two, a small flower poked its head out of the ground. "Howdy."

The time passed, and in the late 'morning', the group was on the move again. Mettaton glanced up ahead at the skeleton monster as he moved, suspicions floating around. Finally, the robot was tired of just thinking about it, and to the group's surprise, he got off Muffet's island, and swiftly moved ahead, catching up to Gaster, using his built in phone to establish a connection.

Gaster turned quietly, raising a brow at Mettaton. He paused, drifting a little slower as the robot caught up to him, folding his arms. "You talked about Alphys's secret lab as if you always knew about it," Mettaton said, jumping right into it, not wasting a moment with beating around the bush. "Why is that exactly?"

"Just because I couldn't interact with the world doesn't mean I didn't witness it," Gaster replied simply.

"And you just happened to witness that?" Mettaton asked. "You seem to be a step ahead of everything going on here."

Gaster chuckled. "Perhaps I'll let you in on how I know so much about that then. Has the child told you about their abilities?"

Mettaton paused. "You…know about them?"

"Of course," Gaster murmured. "Being like this…I'm not affected by the resets they do. Because of it, I've witnessed events surrounding their journey from different perspectives and angles."

The robot thought it over. "How many resets have there been?"

For a moment, Mettaton swore the left eye sparked with a blue aura. "I think those numbers should remain a mystery, don't you?"

"And if I truly want to know?"

"I shall not say it," Gaster simply replied. "They have happened, the amount of times things have repeated themselves no longer matter. This is the reality you have now, and the resets can't continue the way they had anymore. The numbers are of no concern for you. Just focus on the one you're in."

"What's wrong with concerning myself with others?" Mettaton asked, fishing around for details.

"If you worry about other times, you'll detach yourself from the one you're in," was the reply. "Metaphorically, or…" Gaster raised a hand that seemed to barely hold its form. "Literally," he finished.

Something clicked for Mettaton. "You were a scientist once, weren't you?" the robot asked. Gaster looked away, and continued on, not giving an answer. Mettaton's eyes narrowed. "I'm right, aren't I?" he pressed.

"And what does it matter either way?" was the reply.

"It matters because you made yourself part of this group by guiding us. I think we have the right to know more about the person who claims he can lead us through the Abyss."

There was a soft sigh. "I already told your cousin. It is best that I don't answer questions about myself. Besides, if I had been a scientist, wouldn't you have heard of me?" Gaster asked. He knew at least Frisk was homing in on the fact that the incident caused his memory to be erased from others, but he knew the rest of the monsters were probably not in on it.

Whichever way Mettaton took it, he didn't give Gaster any facial cues, aside from his gaze remaining squarely on him, obviously wanting more answers regardless if he believed Gaster's words or not. However, Gaster found a reprieve and held out a hand. "Wait. There's a vision." Mettaton stopped, watching Gaster vanish into the black with a glare.

Swiftly, the skeleton came back, and he and Mettaton moved to the group. "King Asgore's vision is up ahead," Gaster replied. "Who would be best to go?"

Frisk raised their hand, as always. Everyone else looked to Gerson, who surprisingly raised his hands and stepped back. "I don't actually think I'm cut out for King Fluffybuns," Gerson said. "I haven't really kept up with him in the past several decades at least."

The voices were faint to the flower as he woke up, but he heard Gerson, and pieced things together…Asgore…his father. He found it only somewhat odd that Gerson was saying no, but when he thought about it, it made sense.

But…there was no one else that was technically close to the King except…

"Wait…" Everyone turned to the flower that slowly raised his head. "Maybe…maybe I can help with this one."


	27. Forget about Me

Frisk picked up Flowey with a sound of concern, while Flowey huffed. "I'll be fine," he muttered, pulling a smirk. "Besides, Asgore does know of this talking flower." Frisk jerked in alarm, along with the rest of the group, who were just as surprised. "I'll be the best choice, and…" His leaves twitched. "It's not like I can actually do anything else down here."

The monsters looked at each other in concern, and then to Frisk. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" they murmured to them. The child was quiet, and nodded, closing a hand, drawing it to their chest, insisting that they'd be fine. No one knew what would happen if someone who wasn't close to the soul entered, and it was safest to do it this way, though the soft crackling of flames told a few that someone wasn't happy with this decision.

Flowey closed his eyes as Frisk walked over to the skeleton monster, not having to turn to know the others had tensed, displeased with the idea that the child was basically going alone. Dogamy adjusted his stance, taking in the scents around him. If something went wrong, he at least felt he could track them back down.

Gaster took Frisk by the hand, and drew them onto his shoulders. Frisk took note that sometimes he could do it with ease, but yet, other times, he seemed strained, as if trying to hold on to what little reality he was able to find. Once he had the child situated though, he moved toward the vision, and the Abyss began to morph as Papyrus's and Alphys's souls clung close to Frisk.

Gold emerged around them, coming from all directions. The ceilings, the walls, the floor, everything was a beautiful golden. Frisk looked up, taking it in. The throne room…? It had to be, flowers were coating the floor, but as they glanced back, they noticed that both thrones were in a corner, covered in white sheets.

Flowey groaned quietly. "Where is he…?" He wanted this over and done, so that he could just go back to sleep.

"Give the vision a few moments," Gaster advised softly.

Frisk looked around, and then pointed with a soft sound. In the flowers, were the canisters with the six human souls, the hearts floating in oddly serene silence. Frisk felt something twist inside of them. They should have known this would be causing trouble for Asgore, of all things.

It was then that something came into the southern doorway. The king, who moved slowly, and Frisk thought, that despite being a somewhat youthful immortal…he seemed so old now, old and frail. It wasn't in the way he looked, but the way he held himself, the way he moved. His head bowed low as he practically shuffled to the garden, holding a watering can. He briefly tended to the garden, but his heart wasn't into it.

Frisk looked to Gaster, who simply shook his head. "I'll let you know when there's an opening," he assured.

"Better…" Flowey murmured, his head hanging low as his eyes threatened to close. At this rate, he'd fall asleep long before there was an entry point for him. Frisk gave an unsatisfied sound, and Gaster shook his head before taking the child off his shoulders and gently setting them down on what little of the floor could be seen in the room.

Gaster looked back up silently at his former King. Oh, he knew a bit of Asgore, perhaps he could have helped…if he could have been remembered so that there would have even been a chance of an entry point.

However, Gaster knew that wouldn't happen, but he had to hope that someone like Flowey—especially in his current state—could help Asgore see through his vision.

The king slowly rose, and then went to the containers, and to Frisk and Flowey's surprise, he opened them, letting the little hearts out. Instantly though, a form came around them, similar to the red aura Chara appeared as in the Ruin's garden. They were vague shapes though, only giving hints at what they once were.

For example, the blue one was vaguely human shape, but they seemed to wear a dress of sorts, and they moved with a silent grace, which led Frisk to think that they had been the ones who had worn an old Tutu. They landed daintily in front of the king, while the other souls formed around him, circling him as he knelt in the flowers.

The aqua one suddenly floated up, a ribbon on their head. They grasped on to his shoulder, and then leaned forward as he stiffened. "…why?" was the question that echoed softly from the meek child's voice, though they held something like a knife in one of their hands.

The orange one flew up directly in the king's face, causing him to jerk his head up. They folded gloved hands, their face further obscured by what might have been a bandanna. "Why?" they asked, their tone demanding.

The blue one came forward, landing on their toes, before twirling and raising a leg, as if to strike. "Why?" the soft, nearly musical voice finally asked.

There was a rustle of paper as the purple one came forth, scribbling things in their notebook. Then, they looked up, adjusting their glasses, a golden sheen coming across them so that nothing could be seen pass the lenses. "Why?" they asked.

The next one was the green soul, who came forth, clutching a frying pan, and adjusting what might have been an apron. "Why?" they asked, if perhaps a bit shakily.

There were firm and steady steps as someone adjusted a hat, and fiddled with a gun. The yellow soul stood, head slightly lowered before they raised their weapon, aiming at the king as they slowly raised their head. "Why?" they questioned harshly.

All six drew closer. "WHY DID YOU KILL US!?"

The king flinched as if the words themselves had caused wounds, but perhaps, they had. Sometimes words could dig deeper wounds than knives and swords, as those wounds didn't always heal over time, and were stubborn to eventually mend.

Yet, Asgore gave no answer to the children…what could he say to them? That he had taken their lives at a young age so that…what? So that he could break a barrier and wage a pointless war? So that his kingdom would just die a swift death on the mountain side, instead of a slow one of despair and misery on the inside?

His wish for vengeance had been derived from his grief, and had faded eventually, but by then, it was too late to back down. He had given his kingdom hope when he had declared war…what was he supposed to say?

What was he supposed to do…?

He couldn't just take back his promise…to crush the hopes he had created, but…he could slow things down. So that was why he waited for all seven, not daring to break free a moment sooner. Yet, how could he tell the children that…that they could have lived their time down here, and he could have taken the souls upon their natural deaths?

How could he give any reasonable explanation to them?

"Asgore."

The three watchers jerked their heads up in surprise, recognizing that voice. In the door way, darkened slightly by shadows, was Toriel, who glared harshly at him. He looked to her, and slowly rose as the children backed away to allow clear passage. "Tori…" he managed, his voice tight.

She stepped forward, and instantly, Frisk yanked the hood down, not wanting to see it, already having a good idea of what was to come. Asgore didn't move, though Flowey knew he would have seen it coming. There was a slap and a gasp from Asgore as he was hit. He looked down at Toriel as she glared at him, hand trembling, tears in her eyes.

"How could you," she managed, her voice wavering. "We just lost our children—and your way of avenging them is to just—to take the lives of other little ones that had nothing to do with our war!?" Asgore flinched, but gave no words to defend himself as his former wife began to cry.

"They're gone Asgore…everyone I've ever cared for like that. Chara…" Her breath became unsteady, and it took her a moment to continue. "Asriel…" She closed her eyes, tears escaping, and going down her face. Asgore reached out on instinct, but she opened narrowed eyes and hit his hand. "And somehow, I lost you too," she managed, voice tight. "You…you are not the Asgore I had loved."

Toriel turned away, folding her arms. "I shall not share a house with a miserable creature like you," she managed softly, the words almost hidden in her breath as she refused to look back.

"Tori—Toriel I—"

"Don't," she stated harshly, her shoulders jerking. "I don't want to hear your feeble excuses Dreemurr. What can you even say to make amends for this?" she asked, drawing out a hand to motion to the children souls. "What can you say to amend for six innocent deaths?" She turned slightly, one eye looking at him in anger. "Do you even think words can amend something like that?"

The king lowered his head in shame, slowly shaking it. "No…" he managed quietly.

"Then it ends here," Toriel stated simply, and began to leave.

Asgore reached out for her, hesitating, looking away as his thoughts raced. Then, he made his choice, and turned swiftly, rushing to grab her. "Toriel—wait!"

No one was quite sure what happened next, it was all too quick. One moment, Toriel was fine, the next, she was crying out in pain. Frisk hid their face, not wanting to see it, not wanting to see how she had died. She fell back, as Asgore caught her, instantly bringing a hand over the bleeding wound in her chest.

He begged and pleaded for her to stay; sounding so broken, but Frisk knew already, how he sounded when he was like that. Despite the bad things Asgore had done, he was a generally sweet monster at heart, and it was painful to hear someone like him being torn apart by what life threw at him.

"Toriel—Toriel please!"

It did no good…and she crumbled to dust in his hold. Asgore breathed shakily, his head lowered as dusty tears flowed.

"T—Tori…" he managed, voice choked, only to suddenly jerk his head up to the Northern entry way. On instinct, the three moved away from it, and Flowey stiffened as he saw another Boss Monster enter. Himself, still holding on to Chara's soul…he staggered his way in, arrows piercing his back, blood—his own blood staining his once white fur.

The tall boss monster set his deceased friend into the flowers, seemingly unaware of the children souls rushing away from him. "Asriel…" Asgore said, his voice trembling over his son's name.

The black robed monster turned, black markings on his face as he managed a few more shaky steps. "D—Dad…" Then he fell forward into the garden. Instantly, his father rushed over to him as Chara's soul left the dying monster, vanishing away, but that didn't matter to Asgore in that moment.

"Asriel!" He gently rolled his son over, the great monster morphing back into his true form, but he seemed…so weak, barely there, his form wavering as death started to come upon him, but little Asriel was holding on.

"D—Dad…wh—wher…es…Mom…?" the child asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The grief-stricken King gave a trembling breath, looking down at his dying child, unsure of what to say. "…Dad…?"

"Asriel—I'm…I'm so sorry," Asgore managed, resting his head against the boy's…but Asriel's eyes quietly narrowed, gathering the energy to speak.

Gaster suddenly grabbed Flowey out of Frisk's grasp, causing the flower to jerk in alarm. "What are you doing?" Flowey demanded. "Put me down!"

"There's an opening!" Gaster replied.

Flowey looked around. "There isn't a counterpart to me in the garden yet."

"Do you really think I wouldn't know?"

The flower jerked. "Wh—what do you mean?"

"I know who you once were," Gaster explained. "You used to be Prince Asriel." Fangs were bared with a soft hiss, but Gaster wasn't impressed. "Your opinion on my knowledge does not concern me. You need to insert yourself and speak with your father."

"Do I look like a boss monster to you anymore?" the flower replied in annoyance.

"No," Gaster replied. "That shouldn't matter though, and we have to try." With that, Gaster knelt down, setting Flowey through his vision's self, and onto the ground, with Flowey hidden out of sight now that he was phased into the vision's Asriel. Gaster pulled back, and Flowey was silent, looking up at Asgore. He twitched a leaf, and sensed the vision somewhat responding.

To Flowey, it was like controlling a large puppet on strings with his vision. The flower was quiet, thinking about it while Asgore looked down at him. Flowey knew he was upset, but he didn't feel much…he'd just have to hope he could think up words to knock some sense into his father. With that, Flowey morphed his face, feeling he'd communicate better, if he felt a little more like his old self.

He hesitated, thinking. What could he say to the grief-stricken King? There had to be something to reason with, maybe…maybe he could use that, but he'd take small steps and work up to it, for his father's sake.

Flowey huffed, and slipped into Asriel's voice, making his voice softer, and hoping Asgore's emotional state would carry it the rest of the way. "Dad…" Flowey sighed softly. "It's all right. This…it's not your fault; I need you to understand that. This was our choice…I regret it, but I can't have you like this, Dad…"

"Asriel…?"

Flowey went silent, the name so odd to be referred to as after so long. "Dad…it's gonna be okay, all right…? Chara—our Chara—they're…they're okay, and Mom…we're going to find her, Dad, I promise."

The King's face darkened, but the flower cut off Asgore's train of thought. "I know she's gone, Dad…so are you…I know what happened."

Asgore stiffened, but a bit of clarity came to his eyes as he seemed to recall that this wasn't fully real. "Are you…?"

"I'm the closest we'll probably get," Flowey replied honestly. "Time changes everything."

"Then what are you doing here?" Asgore managed, voice quivering. "What is keeping you here?"

Flowey couldn't help a smile. "I'm not being kept, Dad…not in the way you're thinking. Frisk…that little human…" Asgore looked away. "I'm not mad, Dad. You…you're great to have, and since Chara and I aren't around…why don't you give that love to them instead? I can't have it anymore." In more ways than one.

"Asriel, I can't, I can't return to…"

Flowey gave a soft laugh. "Think that's going to stop someone like Frisk? Look…we're going to save all of you. We haven't found Mom down here yet, but, we just need a little time, Dad, and…you might be able to help save her…"

"Asriel, I don't think I can…"

"But I do, Dad…" There was a sigh. "I…know what you did…I know Mom left you…I know…things weren't made completely better yet…and you're still hurting in more ways than one…" Flowey could see the bleeding gash in the king's side, but he chose to ignore it. Blood didn't bother him anymore.

"You need to pull it together. This all happened in the past, and you need to focus on the now. You need to break out of this vision Dad! It's not real anymore! Those souls have passed on, Mom came back—and you were starting to fix things—maybe I'll be a bit blunt and harsh," Flowey said, knowing this wasn't Asriel's way. "But you need to get up, and get a move on!" he snapped, trying to talk sense into the king in the only way he could comprehend anymore.

Deep down, he felt only small emotions. Yes, he felt bad, that was his father. He felt a little sad, he was dying here. He felt…no he couldn't be feeling that, not with this batch of 'souls' inside of him. Was he really feeling that again…? Love for his parents? Flowey shook his head tiredly. No…it couldn't be that.

"But, what of you, Asriel?" Asgore managed. "Can't I also…"

"Dad, I've been gone a long time," Flowey replied. "And I died the way I was supposed to. You and Mom died from a mistake…don't worry about me anymore. My last moments of clarity were just fine, Dad. I want you…to make a promise, perhaps."

"Yes, my boy?"

"Forget about me."

Asgore jerked in alarm. "A—Asriel," he managed.

"…not like that, I suppose, just…what's the best way to say it? It does you no good to think about me, does it? It hurts, and it hurts a lot, so…can you finally put me in the past? Stop seeing me in every child that comes to you…stop hoping and dreaming that I can come back. It hurts you, and…I suppose that would hurt me too. I want you to stop hurting yourself over what we did. I guess…I would want you to be happy without me? Can't you do that? …can't you and Mom do that together? I guess I'd want you two to be happy…I guess I'd want you two back together…or…could you at least be friends?"

"I don't…my little one, I don't want to do that to you…"

"Then…can you just remember the good times…?"

"I…" Asgore sighed, and lowered himself further, hugging his son close. "Asriel, I do not wish to let you go…" Flowey was about to speak, before his father managed to look to him. "Is this really what you want?"

"It is…"

"Then…I'll do it…but I promise to fix everything once I can, my child, and…" Flowey stiffened, eyes widening. "I'll always love you, my boy…"

Flowey paused, and then smiled. "Heh…Dad…I'm going to disappear soon, but, Frisk is looking for you…they'll be at the exit to the barrier…" Flowey could sense that his other self was starting to crumble. "I guess…" Somewhere deep down, it still resonated. "Dad…" It really didn't matter if he was a flower, did it? Deep down, the statement was true, in the depths of his hollow self.

"Love you too, Dad…" Flowey murmured; closing his eyes as the vision of Asriel crumbled away in Asgore's arms. The king quivered, trying to reign in his emotions, before slowly turning as Frisk hesitantly stepped forward, reaching out, two souls by their shoulders. Asgore seemed to look at them. This is where he could start.

"Frisk…?" he asked. They gasped, and then ran to him, leaping into his embrace. He drew them close, nuzzling their head. "Goodness, child, what are you doing down here? It's dangerous…" They simply assured that they were coming to get everyone back, and that everything would be all right.

Frisk snuggled into him, and then reached up, petting his muzzle, managing a smile when he went cross-eyed to look at their hand. Asgore closed his eyes, petting their head, breathing out softly. "I'm glad you're all right…" he managed as Gaster moved, grabbing Flowey without being noticed.

"However, child," the king started. "What do we do now?" he asked.

Frisk looked back to Gaster, who beckoned to the Northern exit, holding Flowey in one arm, the flower already sound asleep, exhausted from helping to get Asgore back. Frisk pointed to the exit, not caring if they would end up falling. They had Asgore back, and that was the only thing that mattered in the moment.

He followed Frisk's instructions, but as they went through the doorway, he turned his head, and reached out, resting a hand on Gaster's shoulder, a look of confusion on his face. Gaster jerked, turning around in alarm, but before anything could happen, Asgore took one step too far, and reverted back into a soul as the vision faded.

Gaster barely managed to catch Frisk, and brought them onto his shoulders, seemingly shaken. Frisk questioned if he was all right, and he gave a jerky nod as they looked up to a monster soul a bit larger than the others, with a slightly red hue on it as a glow of the same color surrounded it faintly. Frisk reached for it, taking it in their hands, and drew it close. The king had returned to them.


	28. Fall Silently

Gerson breathed out slowly, his eyes closed as he sat on the edge of the island, the cold water lapping at his feet. The kid was still gone with Gaster and the flower, and until they got back, he was content on getting some extra rest in. He was a little old for all this walking…

"Mr. Gerson?" a soft voice asked, and Gerson tiredly turned to see Muffet coming over. "…could we possibly talk?"

He nodded, and patted the spot next to him. "Whatever you want," he assured. She came over, settling down tiredly, her eyes drooping, though it didn't surprise Gerson. Everyone was exhausted from the long treks, and so they were taking the time now to rest or recharge a little, as no one knew how much farther they'd have to go. Thankfully, their supply of food was lasting.

"So," the old turtle murmured, letting his eyes close again. "What do you want to talk about, young'un?" To Gerson, all these monsters might as well be little children, due to how old he was.

The spider monster was quiet, her own eyes closing as she thought over how she wanted to word it. "I don't know if I can sugar-coat my question, Mr. Gerson, but…" She peeked one eye open as she glanced to him. "Why did you turn down going to King Asgore exactly? Out of everyone here, wouldn't you have known him the longest?"

Gerson sighed, folding his arms. "I might know him the longest, but I'm not good with 'sweet-talking' people."

"And the flower is?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip as she gave him a dead-pan look, though he didn't need to see it to know she was doing it. "You're dodging the question, Mr. Gerson."

"True enough," Gerson grumbled. "Look, now ya know I was around before the war, I remember humans—not as good as I used to, granted—but I do remember them." The turtle lowered his head slightly with a sigh. "They were brutal, Muffet. Many, many, _many_ monsters were killed in that war—heck, I don't think you could call it a war, it was just a bloody, dusty, massacre."

"We didn't kill a single human, you know," Gerson murmured. "If we had…" His eyes opened, narrowing instantly as he stared out into the Abyss. "We wouldn't have ever been down here, I assure you of that. King Asgore and I…we agreed to not escape—"

"You what!?" Muffet exclaimed, barely keeping her voice down to a harsh whisper so as to not draw attention to themselves.

"Let me finish," Gerson said, raising a hand briefly to her. "That was what we agreed on, I mean, even if we got out, what would we do? The humans would capture us and send us back down—or kill us all. We were no longer in a condition to struggle against them. So…we agreed to that." A frown came to the old monster. "Then his son died…and he backed out on the promise."

Gerson turned to look at her squarely. "Don't get me wrong, I understand that he was grieving; don't think I don't get that. If anything, I know it as well as he does. The problem was that the damage was done even when he came back to his senses; he had already vowed to break us free. So the next human…and the next…"

The turtle clenched his fists. "I couldn't trust myself to say the right things, Muffet. If anything, I'd just make it worse, as I'm still bitter over what he had done."

She looked at him in concern, and started to reach out, but before anything could be said or done, Dogamy jerked his head up. "They're coming back!" The group looked up to see Gaster coming out, holding the sleeping flower in one arm while the child rested on his shoulders, holding a shimmering red soul, with the two others circled close.

Gerson smiled. "At least we've got him back," he murmured. He was bitter toward the king, but he didn't despise him. Others gathered around, and Gaster found that he had to be the one to explain things—probably for the best as he knew how to weave around details like how Flowey was Asriel.

Frisk, however, went away as usual, and sat down, huddling with the three souls, trembling a little as they clutched them close, not wanting to lose them ever again. However, it was difficult to them…they had to rely on the others to save everyone, and they didn't understand why… "Frisk?" The child paused and tilted their head up to see Dogamy peering down at them.

"You seem troubled," Dogamy continued as he knelt down. "And I find that odd. You have three back, I thought you'd be happy to find King Asgore."

The child mumbled quietly, knowing that Dogamy had the hearing to catch their words, though he still leaned close, an ear rising slightly to hear the soft-spoken child. They were happy to have him back, yes, but…they didn't understand why they haven't been able to help. Dogamy found a way into Papyrus's vision, as Mettaton had with Alphys, and even Flowey managed to squeeze his way in…and each time, they all had to help the others see Frisk.

Dogamy smiled a bit knowingly. "Frisk, you're not able to fit into those visions, because…" He chuckled softly. "They don't have any regrets with you."

Frisk looked up in confusion, not fully understanding.

"Remember, visions are for them to come to terms with things, and Frisk, at least these three felt you'd be all right, and that they had provided their best to you. They were confident you'd be all right, and so…you're not an issue…you're not going to be in their visions, because you did the right things while they were alive. If anything, you should be relieved that you haven't seen a counterpart of yourself in them."

The child looked down, unsure of how to take that as their gaze locked on the souls in their hold. They felt that Frisk would be all right…? That the child had done all the right things? Frisk sighed shakily, but refused to cry. They were tired of doing that, and they'd save their tears for when everything could be brought back to normal. They would save sorrowful tears, until they could be tears of joy.

Dogamy picked the child up gently, his hand resting on their head. "Everything will be all right, Frisk," he murmured. "Even if you can't interact with them directly, you have allies that will do their best to help…hmm…even that flower ended up aiding you, hadn't he? So be patient, we'll find the others, and somehow…somehow we'll fix all of this."

The child didn't say anything, but leaned into his hand, finding the affection comforting, and a bit relaxing, and the dog couldn't help a smirk of amusement when he easily lulled the child to sleep. "There you go, little pup. Just rest…things will be a little bit better in the morning, I promise."

* * *

Flowey, however, would beg to differ. The flower rose high, fangs baring as he summoned his seed-like bullets, sending them flying at the corruption. "Chara," he managed to his old friend, who was recovering behind him. "Move away."

They jerked. "You want me to what?" they demanded.

"You heard me," the flower snarled. "Go! I'll deal with this; go find a safe place to recover. You can come back if and when you feel ready."

"What are you talking about, I can't just let _you_ fight this all alone—"

"I'm a flower, Chara." He turned, his face partially morphed. "I'm not completely helpless." Then, he bared his fangs. "Now go!" He whipped around again, sending more bullets at the corruption.

The human hated the fact that the flower had the right idea. They were exhausted, it was best for them to back away so that he didn't have to worry constantly about what they were doing as he fought the other. So they ran, running into the blackness, an idea forming in their head. Maybe they could get someone else in on this… Chara looked about and then ran in a seemingly random direction, hoping they could persuade the last one to help in this struggle.

Flowey panted softly, and as the corruption came down at him, he ducked away into the blackness, only to spring up again behind it, shooting it with another barrage of his white bullets. The corruption snarled, and spun with an angered hiss, flying at him. He smirked and a vine suddenly came flying out. "This is my domain," he said, rising slowly. "I'm not going down that easily!"

His thorn covered vines somehow pierced and grabbed at the more vaporous being, shaking them about like a rag doll as if he were trying to wring what little life they had out of them for good. Flowey didn't care how badly he damaged this being. They were no longer an old friend. This one…was so far gone, that ending them would be the best form of mercy they could be shown…not that he'd ever breathe word of that to Frisk.

"How about I return the favor?" Flowey asked with a smirk as he suddenly flung them in the opposite direction the human had gone, much like they had done to him when he had used Asriel's form. The flower twisted around, his teeth bared as he kept his frightening smile. He was tired, yes, but he refused to make it blatantly obvious. He would keep this up for as long as he was able.

The vapor came flying back faster than he expected, and it grabbed him, pulling him out of the ground. Flowey jerked, but this time, he did not cower, instead, he bit down on the vapor. He fell back to the ground, and vanished away as it grabbed for him. Flowey's laughter suddenly came, echoing all around. "You really want to turn it up a notch!?" he demanded as the black around them turned into an odd shade of red.

The vapor could still be seen, and they looked up, stiffening as a black shadow started to move down toward them, a face of pure horror appearing. The laughter came again, and the red faded back to black, and a monstrosity loomed over them. "You heard me didn't you?" the creature demanded.

Suddenly, everything was death, and the corruption was put on the run. "Or did you just forget…?" Flowey couldn't help a chuckle of amusement. "I told you…I'll kill you a million times over!" For Flowey had gone to his Omega form.

The fight continued, but eventually, morning came, with most still asleep. Gaster returned from scouting again, pausing, tilting his head as he watched the group. He had taken notice that the spider monster and the fire elemental have been talking quite a bit before he had left, but they had moved to their own pieces of the island to finally sleep.

He landed gently on the web, looking around, his gaze landing on the souls. He paused when he heard someone stirring, and he turned to find Muffet sitting up, looking tiredly up at him, waving a cell phone at him in one hand. "I see you're back, Sir."

"So I am," he assured. "However, you, out of all of us, should be the one sleeping."

Muffet smiled tiredly. "Or is that you just saying that so that I'm not watching what you do?"

Gaster folded his arms. "I think your ghost friend has that covered."

"They might," she agreed.

"Then what do you want?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

She blinked slowly, struggling to keep her eyes open, seeming very exhausted, but holding on, one hand clenching around a thread of her web. "Don't you think…you should explain yourself…at least to..?" She motioned to where the fire elemental was. "Him?"

Gaster shook his head, somewhat amused. "I'll say it once, and I'll say it again. No. I am an ally, it's as simple as that."

"Don't you think things would go better if you did tell us?"

"Oh, I know it would," Gaster replied. "But still, the answer is no. Your fiery friend will just have to live with it. I know he's displeased, and doesn't trust me, but believe me, I can continue on with that for a while. After all, he won't have to deal with me once this is all over."

Muffet held back a yawn as she folded her arms. "You're a strange one, Mr. Gaster."

"I've heard that more than once, but what makes you think that?"

Her eyes narrowed, her little fangs glinting somehow. "You're strange, because you seem a little too content. You're like a shooting star." One would think, Muffet wouldn't have known what a shooting star was, or know it enough to use it like that, but between books from before the war, and Gerson always happy to tell stories, she had a decent idea.

"A shooting star?" Gaster murmured, smiling a little at the thought. "I suppose so." He'd fall silently, and vanish into the black without a sound, without the slightest struggle for his existence, but…

"I think I'll be fine with that," he said simply. "If I can get these souls out," he said, looking to her. "Then I'll happily accept that fate. There won't be a need to go down kicking and screaming if this all works out."

Muffet shook her head. "You just plan to be confusing to the end, don't you, Mr. Gaster?"

"Indeed," he assured, before glancing over to see Napstablook flying down to look at Flowey, who had fallen over in his pot, giving Gaster an opening. "But now, little Miss…I think…" he reached forward, resting a hand on her head even when she tried to draw back.

An orange glow came around his hand, and the color seeped into her eyes. "You should rest." Instantly, her eyes drooped close, and with ease, he had her lay back down, floating away before Napstablook was done putting Flowey back up.

The ghost looked back over though, frowning. They hadn't seen it, but they had sensed the magic being used. They knew the type that had been used, but…it wasn't Grillby's. They tilted their head in confusion as they looked at the skeleton monster. The dragon called him Patience…but Napstablook knew that had been Bravery magic. It seemed there was just more and more to Gaster than met the eye.

It was much later, when an orange hand gently shook Muffet's shoulder. "Miss. Muffet…? Miss. Muffet." The spider monster stirred tiredly, blearily opening an eye with a questioning sound as she spotted Grillby. "Breakfast is about ready…" Breakfast? She jerked with a start, realizing she had slept in.

"I'm so sorry, Sir," she murmured, rubbing her eyes. "I didn't mean…"

"There's no issue…" However, a look of concern came to him, his flames dimming. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Just tired," she mumbled as she tidied up her hair with her upper set of arms. "I'll be fine after I eat," she assured. Grillby seemed to relax a little, and then offered a hand to her. She smiled and happily accepted the offer, allowing him to pull her up, then he led her to the center where everyone was already gathered, quietly eating food Grillby had prepared.

Gerson smiled. "There she is. Was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep like that flower," he said.

"I'm fine, Mr. Gerson," she assured. She wasn't that bad, as the flower practically slept most of the time now, only waking from time to time, more often asleep than he was awake, which was concerning the child.

After breakfast though, the group was back on the move. Muffet was tired, having fallen behind the group, feeling exhausted and drained as the day continued on, but she kept at it. Until finally, Gaster moved ahead, and then swiftly came flying back. "Queen Toriel is up ahead," he informed. Everyone looked to Gerson.

The turtle folded his arms. "Why does everyone think I know the Royal Family well enough to do this? Is it because of my age!? I know her even less than I do with King Fluffybuns, and I haven't talked to her since she left the castle." He grumbled quietly, but wasn't too offended.

Frisk gave a hum of concern, and then gently prodded the flower awake. He groaned, looking tiredly up at Frisk, not looking well at all, but he waved their concerns aside. "I'll be fine when I get some sunlight again," he muttered. "What's wrong?" He listened, and sighed. "Toriel, huh?" The rest of it was whispers so soft that Dogamy only caught every other word.

"I'd love to help, Frisk, I really do, but…I don't think, I'm in any decent condition to do another vision…really, Frisk, I did my fair share with Asgore…"

Frisk gave another concerned sound for Flowey, and over the fact that it seemed they had no one to go with them. They looked around, as did the group, until, oddly, it was the little ghost that came forward. "Um…I…I might be able to help," they murmured softly.

"Hmm?" Gaster questioned quietly.

"I…um…I oh no, um…I should have said this sooner, but…"

Mettaton looked to his cousin. "What is it, Blooky?"

"I know Toriel—but I didn't know she was the Queen when I did!"

"What!?" Mettaton exclaimed in surprise.

"She was one of our customers at the snail farm…and then she disappeared…"

"When did that happen?" Mettaton asked, not remembering her.

"…when you weren't around?" Napstablook replied sheepishly.

"Was it just a relationship with a customer though?" Gerson asked.

The ghost shook their head. "No…I'd…go to the Ruins, and I saw her again there. We didn't talk a whole lot, I guess, but we did now and then…and sometimes I brought her snails. I think…maybe I can…? Oh no…I'm sorry, I probably can't."

Gaster shook his head. "You should come along, just in case. If not, we'll try to figure something else out," he said, and then held out his hand, and without hesitation, Frisk took it.


	29. A Mother at Heart

The vision came over the three, with Napstablook turning swiftly, taking it all in as the Abyss faded away from them, and they found themselves in the yard in front of one of the Royal's homes, but the color told Frisk it was the one within the Ruins. They heard laughter, and they turned to see Toriel playfully chasing her son, and the fallen human.

They ran around the dead tree, the children shrieking in joy, keeping away from her a little longer in their silly game of chase. "I'm going to get you!" Toriel called. The three stared. This vision…was actually nice, but Frisk and Gaster quietly clenched their hands. It wasn't going to last, they knew better.

She grabbed the children, only to gasp—the sound turning to laughter as Asgore picked her up with the children, laughing. "I believe I won!"

"Gorey! That's cheating—what are you teaching our children!?"

"Hmm…that I win?" he asked, kissing her muzzle, with the two children whining their embarrassment as he set them all down.

Toriel playfully pushed at him, with Asgore dramatically stumbling away. However, they jerked to attention as Chara fell down, breathing heavily. Asriel gasped, grabbing at them. "Chara!"

The parents rushed over in a panic, with Toriel putting her hand to them, trying to figure out what was wrong so that she could heal it, but this was poison…it wasn't something she could heal. Much too quickly, the human went limp, their breathing coming to a halt. The parents stared, with Toriel looking down in horror. "Chara…Chara!"

Asriel stiffened, lowered his head, and then raised a hand, the human soul coming out as he hugged it close, allowing it to phase into him. His parents turned, staring in horror. "ASRIEL!" they cried out in alarm as he shifted in appearance, and took his friend's body. Without a word, but with a determined look on his face, he ran off.

"Asriel!" Toriel called, standing up, reaching out as she ran, but her footsteps slowed as Asgore came up behind her, both staring in shock. She trembled, and he held her close. What should have been hours, became mere moments as Asriel came, stumbling back, the area around them constantly morphing from the yard, to the garden, and back, the vision seeming undecided on where the event actually took place.

He set his friend down, and then collapsed, the arrows lodged in his back. "ASRIEL!" They ran to him as he reverted back to a mere child. He looked up to them, giving a weak smile, before crumbling to dust in his parents' hold. The two stared, shocked, unable to comprehend what just happened. Their little ones…

Gone.

Toriel first leaned into Asgore, seeking comfort, but his grip on her went from gentle and sheltering, to harsh and constricting. She gave a pained gasp, looking up to see Asgore's face shadowed as he stared down with a terrifying expression. "A—Asgore…"

"They'll pay…" he managed, his voice trembling, before it became a mighty, thundering roar. "THE HUMANS SHALL SUFFER FOR THIS!"

Gaster turned away, dimming his eyes as he closed them. This was not the true event…but it was close enough, as Toriel pushed away, covering her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at her husband in horror. Then she covered her face, shaking her head, as if to rid herself of everything…and in a way…it worked.

The place morphed and then the garden that Frisk had fallen into took form. Napstablook looked around. "It's always a pretty place…" they whispered, catching Frisk by surprise. "It's the one spot we used to go to in order to see the sun…"

The ghost had been here before. Gaster looked around, and then sighed. "There have always been parents that lost children, but never have I seen a mother suffer like our Queen has."

Frisk made a sound of confusion, but Napstablook got their attention, drawing their gaze to the lone patch of grass. Resting on it was Toriel, her eyes seemingly half closed. Surrounding her, were little children, running about. Frisk frowned, trying to count them all…six humans? No, seven—wait…eight. Eight humans and—little Asriel—but that wasn't all.

Resting near Toriel, was Napstablook, quietly listening to music. "I'm confused…" the true ghost monster said. "Why…?"

"Toriel is always a mother at heart," Gaster explained. "While you're not a child in age, she likely still saw you as someone who needed a motherly figure," Gaster said. "After all, as a ghost your age without a body…you would have been peered-pressured, would you not? And with your cousin vanishing…"

Napstablook's eyes narrowed briefly, and even Frisk felt wary over how much Gaster seemed to know. "Is there an opening?" the ghost asked flatly, while Frisk's eyes widened as they, for the first time, saw a counterpart to themselves in the vision, coming up to Toriel, and snuggling into her. She gently patted their head, but the three noticed that she was looking about warily, ready to jump at a moment's notice.

Gaster shook his head in response to the ghost's question. "Not yet…" he replied.

"Mother? Mom? Ma-Ma? Mommy?" She turned slightly to see the little children cluster over to her. "Aunt Toriel? Aunty Toriel? Grandma? Miss. Goat Mom?" They all called to her in various ways, though it was easiest to figure out which had been the youngest.

She raised her head tiredly; her crimson eyes drooped a little. "Yes, my little ones?" she asked as they came over, grabby hands latching onto her arms, and her ears. She gave a little grunt when one tugged too hard, jerking her head by accident, while a few others climbed onto her back.

"Why can't we leave the Ruins?" they all asked.

"Because it is dangerous for you," Toriel said. "If you stay here…I know I can keep you safe," she added softly. "You're sheltered…you're safe. If you stay here, you'll never have to suffer at the hands of others…please, know you're safest here."

"Then…do you promise to protect us?" they asked.

Toriel slowly nodded. "I promise to protect you," she assured. "But you are safest here," she reminded them. "I can't promise how well I can watch over you if you were to leave, besides…there is nothing out there for you. There's only danger and heartbreak…and I can't bare to lose you, my little ones. Don't you understand…? I want…I _need_ all of you to stay here."

The children all looked at one another, to Toriel, and even to Napstablook, who hadn't said anything all the while, but nodded to them. They looked back, and smiled. "Okay…"

She smiled slightly. "There we go, my little ones…now, go and play, I'll be right here." There were cheers, but before they could move, the earth itself seemed to shake. Toriel gasped, quickly getting to her feet, looking down the long stretch of corridor, where a dark, but large figure stepped out of the shadows.

The being took a few steps forward, and to everyone's shock, it took out a red trident. Frisk covered their mouth, trembling. Asgore… Stupid tears began to form. Why!? They just wanted those two…to go back to a time before it went wrong! They trembled, while Toriel took a step forward, her fingers twitching as flames appeared on her fingers. "Children, stay behind me!" she shouted.

They complied, running away swiftly before they could be claimed by the beast. As the shadowed figure came forward, Toriel gave a loud shout. "Stay away from them—I won't allow you to do this!" To kill, to take their lives—she wouldn't let the children be harmed!

Napstablook watched, and then paused. "…it's not just the children she's trying to save…"

Frisk and Gaster looked to them in confusion. The ghost looked over, becoming a bit more transparent when they found the attention on them. "I'm sorry…um…what I mean is…all the children are here, right? Doesn't that mean Asgore hasn't taken any yet to her? If she stops him…she saves the children and…"

Gaster's eyes lit up as he caught on to what Napstablook was getting at. "And she stops him from becoming a murderer."

The human jerked, and then turned back to the fight, seeing it in another light now. Toriel wasn't placing Asgore as the true enemy in this, even though she was fighting him. Here, Toriel was trying to stop him before he went past the point of no return.

It was no good though, as Toriel's attacks didn't do much against the shadow. However, something happened that caught Frisk by surprise. Asgore's soul left their side. The child yelped, reaching for him, but it shot across the area with great speed as Toriel hit the ground, and the shadowed figure raised its trident high. The soul crashed into it, and the shadow stumbled back, the inky black washing away as Asgore's true colors came.

He slumped against the wall, and then dropped the trident as if it were hot lead. Asgore panted heavily while Toriel stared in confusion. "Wh…what…?"

"Tori…" he breathed, slowly righting himself, paying no mind to the weapon as it dispersed. "We…we need to talk…" he managed, reaching for her, though she scrambled away in fear, trying to get back up and fire at him again, for the children were still here, and she would protect them, and wouldn't fall for any cloak and dagger tricks.

Gaster frowned, and then looked up. "Napstablook, see if you can…" The ghost jerked to attention, and then flew off; knowing what was being asked of them. Frisk watched, drooping, once again…they couldn't help. "Frisk…" They looked up to the skeleton monster. "Why do you look like that? You know…you can help this time." Frisk frowned in confusion as Gaster pointed. They turned…and then it clicked.

For hiding in the cluster of children, was a version of themselves. They slowly looked to Gaster, who smiled, and nodded. "Go, little one."

Not needing to be told twice, the child ran, racing for it, closing their eyes as they stumbled into their vision's form. Gaster's smile faded, and he sighed softly. "Forgive me, my Queen," he murmured. "I'm not able to give true aid to you or your people anymore."

Asgore raised his hands, but dropped to his knees, trying to assure Toriel he would no longer bring harm, but she wasn't reading it, figuring she would be tricked, and considering she had been in the visions a while, there was probably a good reason for the extra distrust.

She raised flame covered hands with a growl, and went to throw her attacks.

"STOP!"

Toriel gasped, calling the flames back at the last second as Napstablook and Frisk jumped in the way. "Stop!" the ghost repeated.

The woman let the flames die away fully as she stared at them. "Little ones…what are you doing—get behind me!"

Frisk shook their head, keeping their arms spread, while Napstablook came forward. "Oh no…I'm sorry…I…I'm not good at this, but…he's not going to hurt you! This…oh no…I don't know how to explain…" Napstablook came over. "…can you just trust me on this…?" they asked.

"I—I…"

"Oh no…I'm sorry…" The ghost started to become more transparent. "I know we're not that close…I should have known better…"

"W—wait," she managed, causing the ghost to look back up to her. Toriel trembled, looking from the ghost, to Frisk, to Asgore, and back, obviously uncertain. She shut her eyes for several moments, before slowly opening them, and looking to Napstablook. "I…I'll trust you on this one…"

Napstablook disappeared fully for a moment, but swiftly came back into view. "Th…thank you…" they managed, before floating back as Frisk gently grabbed Asgore's hand. "He doesn't want to hurt you…can't you just talk…?"

Frisk gave a sound of agreement, nodding vigorously as they tugged on Asgore, while Toriel looked hesitantly to him. The king lowered his head. "It's all I ask, Tori, to talk. I won't harm the children."

"What do we even have to talk about?" Toriel asked.

"Everything!" Napstablook surprisingly exclaimed, causing both Boss Monsters to look at them in alarm. "Both of you…you've been hurting for longer than I could possibly know…I…don't want you to be like that." They looked to Toriel. "You need to talk to him about your children…these children…and what you two will do…" The ghost turned to Asgore. "You need to talk about what you did while she was gone…and you two need to come terms and put this in the past!"

The ghost paused, realizing what they had done, and became transparent. "Oh no…I'm sorry—I might have said too much—you're royalty, you should know what you're doing, oh no…"

Toriel looked to Asgore, and then nodded slowly. "I suppose we should…talk…" She glanced back. "Everyone else—go play further in the gardens please…" They consented, moving away quietly, while she and Asgore moved into the grass, each kneeling down, while she glanced nervously at him.

"Tori…" Asgore managed. "I'm sorry…"

She looked away, taking a moment. "…are you?"

"I know words aren't going to change what has been done…or fix a single thing…and that it's going to take more than words to make anything right, but…" He slowly raised his head. "I want to try, Tori. I want to do what I can to make amends."

"…I would love to believe you, Asgore, but…you changed so much. Can I really have the one I loved back?"

Napstablook poked back up. "Um…can I?" they mumbled quietly. They nearly went transparent as the boss monsters looked to them. "Um…I think…you won't know, unless you try, right? He won't know he can fix it, and you won't know if he can, if you don't try…don't you want to at least try? …I don't think there's much to lose now…"

"Maybe not, but how are we even going to try?" Toriel asked, hesitantly looking to Asgore. "I'm gone…what would this change? Just some illusions? Changing things in a fake reality will not make me feel better."

Napstablook floated over. "There's some real things in here," Napstablook assured. "You're real…he's real…so am I…so is Frisk. We're not part of this vision you're in."

Toriel's eyes narrowed in confusion, trying to sort out muddled thoughts, in order to piece together what was real and what wasn't. Then, when she did, her hands flew to her mouth as she stared; eyes wide. "Wh—why—if you're here—then!"

Asgore, on instinct, came forward, gently grabbing her hands, drawing them away from her face. "These two are all right," he assured. "I'm the only one that's down here for the correct reason." Toriel stared, and then it clicked, and tears welled in her eyes.

Frisk came forward, and hugged Toriel, mumbling gently into her side, pointing out what they knew. She still cared—and so did he—so…couldn't they try to pick up the pieces and try again? "F—Frisk…" Toriel mumbled. "Wh—why do you have to be such a brave little child? You shouldn't be doing this…"

"If we could stop them, they'd never have left the Ruins," Asgore murmured.

"I'm sorry…" Napstablook mumbled. "But he's right. Stopping Frisk is like trying to stop Undyne."

Asgore sighed. "Nothing short of a thick metal cage…and then some."

Toriel smiled—if just barely through her tears. "She's a wild one…isn't she…?"

"I…really wished I had you around when I had her running about."

Napstablook smiled. They were talking—not the topic they were supposed to be, but they felt they'd eventually get things in gear. Napstablook floated over to Frisk. "I…think this is gonna be okay…let's give them a few moments, hmm?" Frisk nodded, and they headed over to the archway, where Gaster was quietly waiting.

The two talked about Undyne for a bit, and then, their conversation got back on track, though they danced around not so pretty things, until, Asgore finally broke down, and dove head long into the muck. "Tori…I don't expect you to forgive me for this…but I want to try it again—and as we are now, we don't have much else to lose—but, if we get a second chance Tori…" He took her hand, and looked to her, and Toriel couldn't help but smile, recognizing that expression from years ago, when he had proposed to her. She knew this face.

She knew this one. This was the one she had loved. "I promise," he started. "I'll make our second chance worth every moment…if you'd allow me a second chance in your heart."

Toriel sighed softly, and then leaned forward. "I…will hold you to your word…Gorey." He perked in surprise, and she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. He raised his head, staring at her, and Toriel smiled. "If you think…we could do it right."

"If Frisk turns out all right…then yes," Asgore replied.

"…then I'm willing to try again."

Asgore smiled and stood, offering a hand to her. "Then let us leave these grounds," he said. She smiled, taking it, and he helped her up, and they walked, hand in hand, to the archway. Frisk, however, ran to Toriel, hugging her. It was odd, in the back of their mind, it had been mostly Napstablook. The ghost probably could have handled going alone, but…it made Frisk feel better, to help, even if it was such a minor role.

Toriel scooped them up, warmly nuzzling them, before looking up, tilting her head in confusion as she saw Gaster, but the skeleton monster quickly vanished away into shadows, knowing that this was where the vision would end. When Toriel moved to follow, both she and Asgore vanished into souls, and Frisk found it near impossible to tell the difference…though they didn't take note right away as Napstablook caught them, though they sounded stressed.

Gaster quickly grabbed them from the ghost, leaning away as the four souls swirled around. The King and Queen were reunited, and perhaps…there was a better future awaiting everyone.


	30. Wouldn't you Care

Grillby sat cross legged on the island of webs, glaring off into the void, his flames crackling and giving the occasional snap. "Well don't get snappy with us," someone joked. Grillby stiffened, and then turned to look at Gerson who was giving an amused smile, before he dropped down next to the fire elemental. "I know you're not much of a talker, but…do you want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" Grillby asked, folding his arms.

Gerson rolled his eyes. "Kid, I'm over a thousand years old—do you think I don't know?" he asked. "I'm hard at hearing, and it's harder to remember things, but that hasn't taken my instinct away, and something tells me you need to talk about it…before you do actually set something on fire."

Grillby gave an annoyed sound, the crackling continuing. "It's just Frisk's behavior," he replied. "I know they want to do this—to save everyone—but they put far too much trust in Gaster—not that I'm surprised. My issue is that…they expect us to just go along with it all. To believe they can turn back time; defy death…and we're just supposed to go along with all of this?"

The turtle sighed. "I can see why you find it frustrating."

"And what am I supposed to do about it? Frisk is so stubborn that you can't reason with them, and while I don't trust Gaster, he has been helping us…" The fire elemental gave another huff, his fingers tapping quickly, tiny little embers coming off him as he did so.

"Talk to the kid," Gerson replied with a shrug. "Let them know how you feel about it at least. Remember, they're dead set on finding a way to save their friends. They're ignoring everything else—intentionally or not, but ya know, to be fair, they didn't want us involved."

Grillby paused. "What do you mean by that?"

"The kid tried to sneak out on me in the middle of the night before we left."

"They what?" Grillby asked in surprise.

"Kid wanted to go alone," Gerson replied, giving a helpless shrug. "They didn't want us here—even if in the end—it worked out best if the three souls we do have are anything to go by."

"They were going to go down here alone!?" Grillby exclaimed in a hiss, and for a brief moment, Gerson swore he saw a glimpse of blue in Grillby's flames. "That child—I would ground them if I could once we got out of here."

Gerson snickered—before falling over with laughter. "You, Grillby, would make an excellent father!"

The fire elemental's flames nearly stilled. "…what now?" The others of the group turned to see what the racket was, causing Grillby to softly groan, and face-palm, silently waiting for Gerson to gather himself.

"O—Okay—I'm okay," Gerson replied, slightly out of breath as he slowly sat up. "Oh, good lords, youngun's these days…" He snickered a little, and looked to Grillby. "I just meant you'd be good with kids. You're not afraid of grounding them, even if you care for them a lot."

"That's not the point I was trying to get at."

"No," Gerson agreed. "It wasn't. Look, we're already down here, and…we've gotten three back. I'm not happy with Frisk hiding things either, but what's done is done…all we can do now is press on and hope it all goes too plan."

"…I suppose so."

"It's okay to not trust Gaster, we've got every right, but stewing over it won't do ya any good."

"True…"

Mettaton stepped forth on the island, bringing a hand over his eyes, as if to shield them as he peered into the dark, his eyes gaining a soft glow, a smile coming to his face. "They're back!" he reported.

Everyone quickly got to their feet. There was a bit of a commotion at first, with Napstablook and Gaster taking it half and half, while Frisk went off with the four souls trailing after them. Once things were settled, the group decided to continue on, as it was still early in the day.

Napstablook floated gently along, smiling a bit, surprised that they had been able to help, but happy that they could. "You know," Dogamy said as he fell into 'step' with them. "I was quite surprised to learn that you knew the Queen…but I'm quite glad you did…what was she like? You seemed to know her before the incident."

"Oh…that's right, um…" Napstablook paused. "Well, she was our best customer at our snail farm…she really loved snails…she would come a lot and get them by the bucketful. She came nearly every week…we…didn't talk a lot, but she was nice…you know, and um…"

"Hm?" Dogamy questioned, his ears rising just slightly, signaling that he was still paying attention.

"She was just…really patient too…I had a few other cousins at the time, and some were still trying to find their places…when she left…I found her in the Ruins one day…it's um…really hard to be a ghost without a corporeal form…especially at my age…everyone thinks I should have one…but I don't, and she…she was one of the few that encouraged my choice. So…sometimes…we'd talk. Not a lot, not over important things. She'd ask how I was doing, I'd ask her the same, but…it was nice."

The ghost was quiet for a moment, before continuing. "And then, I'd keep bringing her snails, but…one day…one of my cousins…they really needed to get off the farm—and I was talking to Toriel about it and…well, she had a training dummy deep in the Ruins—and she suggested that my cousin take it, and…my cousin did. They still visit, but they were really happy about it. And…I was really happy she helped us out, so…I like that I was able to help pay it back a little more."

"You truly didn't know she was the Queen though?" Dogamy asked in surprise.

Napstablook nodded. "I only knew the King and Queen by name…they don't really visit Waterfall—on public matters, and I never asked for my customer's names, I just…did my job. I'm…not one to leave my home, so I never went to see them during events or anything…oh no…I'm sorry, I probably should have known better…oh no…"

Dogamy shook his head. "Don't worry about it; after all, it worked out in the end, didn't it? I'm not sure how well we could have assisted Queen Toriel had you not come along with us."

Napstablook became slightly more transparent. "Oh no…I uh…I'm glad…I could help…ohhh…." And they faded away completely. Dogamy chuckled softly, and then they continued on their way.

At the back of the island, Muffet walked slowly, gripping the long thread in her hands. Since Day One, she had continued to extend that thread as a guide back to the entrance, as well as holding the entire web island up for the group, having to sustain their weight, along with supplies. Every day, even at night, as there was nothing to suspend the webs on. How long now…?

Four souls…four days? No, more than that, probably five…it was hard to tell. Her head hung low, her eyes drooped to being nearly closed, and she practically dragged her feet. She had to keep going, get to dinner…then she could rest, eat…and then sleep. She took a shaky breath, and continued, but each step was shakier than the last, and eventually, she would give out.

And sure enough, she did. She took another step, before everything gave. She gasped, falling forward. The group turned in alarm, but then cried out as the webbings that supported them started to give, no longer held firm by her magic as it began to fizzle. There were snaps, and Dogamy and Gerson yelped as they fell, splashing into the shallow water.

Frisk nearly fell in, but Mettaton dove, catching them, roughly landing, but he somehow managed to save it and have it appear graceful as he held the child above the water. Napstablook cried out as Grillby staggered, fighting for balance on the wavering island as Gaster brought Muffet back out of the water she had fallen into. She coughed and sputtered, and then looked up, her tired eyes snapping open in attention.

She swiftly raised a hand, the strands beneath Grillby glowing, and becoming firm again. The rest of the island could go, everyone else could manage, but no matter how tired she was, she refused to let him fall. Grillby gave a gasp, but managed to catch his balance, much to everyone's relief.

Dogamy gave a worried whine as he stood, his clothing clinging to him, much to his distaste and then moved over to the elder monster who had landed on his back. With a grunt, he helped the turtle back to his feet while Gaster floated over to what was left of the island, obviously stressed as he tried to hold the thankfully light monster.

"Miss. Muffet!?" Grillby exclaimed, finally relaxing enough to find words. "Are you all right!?"

The spider monster coughed on the water she had swallowed when she fell. "I—I'm fine," she stammered. "I was just…I'm sorry," she managed in a rasp.

"I don't understand…" Mettaton murmured in confusion.

"Her magic gave out," Dogamy stated.

Gerson nodded. "Should have seen it coming. She's been supporting this large island for several days without full rest. It was bound to happen, but I didn't realize time was running out…"

"Oh no…" Napstablook mumbled worriedly. "What do we do?"

Dogamy surveyed the situation. "We continue moving," he stated simply. "We don't need the island when traveling. I could even carry Grillby if it comes to it," he said as he gently took Muffet out of Gaster's hold.

Muffet shook her head. "N—no…I…I can at least keep an island for him," she assured. "I just need more time to rest…"

Everyone looked to Grillby. The fire elemental looked down and tapped the web with his shoe, and it didn't so much as tremble. "This is as strong as the others," Grillby stated. "And seeing how she made sure I didn't fall…I trust that Miss. Muffet can do as she says, but…I'm not sure if you should," he said as he looked to the tired spider monster.

"If I feel my magic give out any further, I'll alert you," Muffet assured. "It's riskier for you to be carried by others."

Gerson huffed. "She's got a point. For now, we're in shallow water, but if we slip, or walk of an unseen ledge…"

Grillby cringed, knowing what Gerson meant. It'd take one wrong step from them to end Grillby, whereas Muffet would at least know when her magic would fully give. If it did, they'd have to risk the second option.

Muffet sighed. "So—so long as I can rest a little, I shouldn't fade out."

Mettaton came forward. "Then let me carry you. If you're this tired, you shouldn't be doing any more walking, and at night, we'll figure something out."

"I…should have enough magic back to manage something…I can rest a bit more when we find another soul," she pointed out. "For now…"

"We rest for an hour," Gerson said. "I'm old and tired, I need the break anyways."

That was somewhat true, but most figured he was saying it for Muffet's sake, and chimed in that they'd like to rest as well. Muffet looked over. "What about you, Sir?"

"I'm just fine with sitting," he assured as Mettaton gently took her, trading Frisk with Dogamy. Grillby would have offered to hold her, but she was soaking wet. She nodded tiredly, and closed her eyes, sleep almost instantly claiming her, but the webbing stayed strong. Grillby waited a few moments, and then beckoned the robot over. Mettaton tilted his head, and then knelt down.

"Here," Grillby stated, drawing back the sleeves, and let his flames burn higher and brighter on his arms as he reached out toward her, but didn't touch her. "I can at the very least dry her off. She'll get sick if she stays like that."

Gaster tried to add something to the conversation, but everyone stared blankly at him, until Grillby noticed he was making movements with his hands while trying to communicate while no one had an active cell phone. Grillby watched the hand movements, and then nodded. "That was what I was getting at."

Everyone paused, and then looked to Grillby. The fire elemental stared back, and then it clicked, and he offered an explanation. "My mother lost her hearing at a young age, so my brother and I learned sign language. It turns out he's using it when he can't fully speak to us."

"Well, I'll be darned," Gerson murmured.

Dogamy snickered. "Muffet would have a word with you if she heard that."

"Yeah, well, language. Kid's here, you're gonna have to deal with that."

Frisk blinked their confusion, not understand at all.

After that, the group rested—but they didn't leave in an hour, allowing Muffet to rest a little longer, and would just claim that it had only been one. The woman was a stubborn little thing, but they needed her to keep Grillby safe. Besides, they had made good headway, and her rest was more than well earned.

However, while her rest was peaceful…the slumbering flower continued an inner struggle. The Corruption shrieked as they tried to dodge the insanity that came from all around them. Everything was everywhere—and there didn't seem to be a safe place to go! Flowey however, enjoyed every moment. Now he remembered why he had collected the souls like this—he had felt so powerful!

He laughed, sending seeds, flames, vines, lasers, and bombs—and gods know what else—at the corruption. The whole area was a death trap, and constantly, the corruption was ensnared in all the traps that the attacks made. They would get pelted, singed, crushed, incinerated, and blasted.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to kill them—it wasn't real after all, but Flowey was stubborn, and kept at it. He had to prolong this for as long as possible—if they lost…well…no one could guarantee what would happen if he did. He just had to hold on. Once they got Sans back, they could figure something out…he hoped.

Flowey cheated throughout the battle—not that he cared about rules here…he doubted rules were even thought about by his enemy. He would save and load, jerking them from place to place, waiting to get them at a good place, but he knew better. He wasn't going to repeat what he did with Frisk. However, at least the souls powering this one were just an illusion, and they wouldn't even consider betraying him.

The corruption however, was getting angrier, and was looking for a way to break down this form.

Meanwhile, Chara ran through the black, their eyes lighting up at the sight of the last soul within Flowey. The broken Frisk from the other world. Chara panted, dropping to their knees in front of their broken heart. "Listen…" Chara panted. "If you're there, you have to respond…I know they broke you. I caught glimpses of what they did…but…if you don't do anything, they're going to take more lives—I know these people aren't yours—but if you're anything like that Frisk—wouldn't you care!?"

From Flowey's shared memories, they knew of this Frisk well enough. The Frisk of their world was a sweet little child who would Mercy until the end, refusing to ever truly kill a monster. They even spared Flowey after all…and if given the chance, Chara knew they would spare this corruption, despite everything they did. Chara knew that this same mind set would likely get them killed, but… Chara huffed. They had to admire Frisk's will to believe that there was no such thing as someone who couldn't be redeemed.

"Look…you need to come," Chara said, holding out a hand. "Please…?"

But they didn't respond.

Flowey shrieked, blinding lights coming from all around in every color. Everything became a blinding white, and the corruption tore at the memories, they knew what would come next. They would find his shriveled, withered body in the dark. They lowered to the ground, their form always shifting, never staying a single shape for long.

"Recognize me?" an unfamiliar voice asked, as something stepped out of the dark. "It's your old friend…" An adult boss monster smirked, black markings on his face, with beautiful horns adorning his head. "Asriel Dreemurr." He snapped his fingers, and an array of color came from all around. "Let's try this again."

Time passed, and eventually, things were back on track. Hours? Days? Thankfully, Mettaton had the answer. They had waited for Muffet to recover a bit before moving along, though to her light irritation, the group refused to let her walk—it wasn't the fact that she felt she could—she just wished it was on her own violation to be carried, but she didn't fuss over it, focusing on Grillby's little island.

Eventually, Gaster flew on ahead, and then came back. "Undyne is next."

Everyone looked to Gerson. "Heh, this time, you're right." He looked up to Gaster. "I helped raise that urchin. I think I can help with this."

Gaster bowed. "Then by all means, Gerson, please come along."

Gerson nodded, and without even glancing to Frisk, he picked them up, tossing them onto his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't forget ya' neck warmer." Frisk grumbled, the four souls circling them. Then, Gerson followed after the skeleton monster, vanishing into the black as Undyne's vision drew them in.


	31. Of the Waves End

Gerson jerked in alarm as the ground below him turned from water, to dry land. Though a moment later, he realized it wasn't actually land. It was a smooth floor. The three raised their heads upon hearing piano music. Frisk instantly recognized where they were. Undyne's home, before it caught fire, but they and Gerson figured out that something was wrong. It was devoid of color.

Everything was gray, much like how Frisk saw most of their battles. They turned, and they saw the fish monster playing her piano, the tune slow, soft…sad…sorrowful. She too, was grayed out, devoid of any color. She was in her casual attire, but there was something different. Instead of an eyepatch, she wore bandages that covered both her eyes, the right side stained with red, the only color that they could see.

Frisk covered their mouth with a muffled sob, realizing what had happened to Undyne when she had fought the other human, while Gerson looked away, cringing. "You poor child…" he murmured. She had lost her left eye a long time ago, and just before she died, she had lost both, and he knew for a fact that her last moments were her in pain…alone in the dark of her world.

Gerson clenched his hands, shaking in light anger. "Did they find this funny?" he asked. "To just torment us while they set their mind to killing us all?"

"I'm afraid so," Gaster murmured. "They found entertainment in what they did."

Gerson gave a shudder. "Thank the gods they're not the one that fell into the Underground."

Frisk couldn't help glancing to Gaster, a silent moment passing between the two. They knew better, but they didn't dare say anything about it. Gerson thankfully didn't notice as Frisk was on his shoulders. The turtle watched Undyne play, knowing the piano well enough that she didn't need to see where the keys were. Gerson drooped. That little spit fire of a kid…gone, and for what reason?

"Look," the turtle murmured. "I'm not good with following all of this. So where's this 'opening' I need?"

"It's not here yet," Gaster replied. "We usually need to wait for the vision to shift or for an event to happen before you can find an opening."

"Just peachy…" Gerson muttered. "Let me know when something can be simple and straightforward."

"My apologies, you'll have to take this up with The Abyss."

"Oh, I just might." The turtle looked about anxiously, while the souls peeked over Frisk's shoulders, but they stayed huddled close; Asgore and Toriel on one side and Alphys and Papyrus on the other.

The fish monster continued to play the music, the tune unfamiliar to Frisk. It was not her Spear of Justice…and it wasn't even a bitter sweet tune. It was devoid of hope…it just crushed at emotions, pulling at heart strings, and in some way, it scared Frisk that Undyne would know such a tune to begin with.

Gerson looked up, recognizing the tune. "You still know that one, little urchin?"

Gaster paused. "Which tune is it then? I oddly don't recognize it."

The turtle didn't answer at first, and Gaster was just about ready to repeat himself, when the old monster finally spoke.

"Of the Waves End," he stated slowly, before sighing softly. "Of course, that means a bit more to me, but nothing for youngsters to know about." For Gerson was old, and knew much more. In a dead language that he was certain the humans no longer used… 'Of the Waves' would translate to 'Undyne'.

In short, the name could also be 'Undyne's End'. Gerson had noticed that connection when he had heard her play that after an incident that had hurt her greatly when she was younger. While the tune was beautiful, it was soul crushing, and had made him determined to pull her back out, because she was stronger than that, but it seemed, that once again—though it was so rare—Undyne needed a little help. A little push in the right direction, and he was willing to give that aid.

In the midst of the tune, there was a knock on the door, and Undyne jerked in alarm, her fingers slamming on the keys, causing an awful sound to echo in the room. She stood, her hands remaining on the piano as she looked around, snapping her head toward the sound. "Who's there!?" she demanded, and to Frisk's surprise…she sounded panicked.

"Kid, are you home?" Gerson jumped as he heard his own voice coming through the door. Seeing that an opening might be arriving, Gaster gently took the child off the turtle, setting them down, and patting their head to assure them that it would be all right.

"Y—Yeah…come in," she managed, her ear fins twitching.

The door clicked and the turtle monster stepped in, but the true Gerson instantly felt that something didn't match up. He didn't trust the vision, and it wasn't just because he was devoid of color, and as the other one walked past, he frowned, and went after them, not even waiting for Gaster to explain. He reached out, and while surprised when he stumbled into his vision's self, he quickly figured things out.

However, even as the real Gerson came over, he didn't have any color to show for it. It seemed that he was going to stay gray a while longer, but Gerson didn't care as he moved, quietly humming the tune. She paused, following his sounds before he came, and sat beside her. "Heh, when did you get the bench replaced?" he asked. She didn't give an answer. "No matter," he murmured. "Let's just talk, little urchin."

"…there's nothing to talk about, Gerson," she managed, but her voice wavered, betraying her.

"I think there is," Gerson replied.

"Why did you come?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he replied, causing her to pause. "Undyne, I know this tune. You haven't played it since…well, I know why you play it now. It's because of her, isn't it?"

Undyne quivered, and gave a shaky breath. "Alphys…" she managed, her voice tight. She suddenly lowered her head, against the top of the piano, burying her face in her arms, but her voice wasn't all that muffled as she continued. "H—how could I have screwed up?" she managed, almost ready to fully break. The idea of her crying was alien to Frisk, but Gerson had seen it before, as he had watched her grow up.

She was durable…but not invincible. "I had to leave her f—for one night alone—and that was when she needed me—and I wasn't there! She's gone, Gerson! And I couldn't do a damn thing about it! I couldn't save her…" Her body shook with a soft sob. "I couldn't even avenge her…how…how am I supposed to just move past that? This is different than…" She didn't finish, but she raised her hand, touching the left side of her face. "If that hadn't happened…" But she didn't mean any recent event. "Had I not done that…I wouldn't have been blinded…"

Gerson reached for her shoulder. "Undyne—" Everything vanished, and Gerson ended up falling roughly to the ground as his seat disappeared, while Frisk spread their arms, feeling unbalanced as the vision shifted. Gaster simply turned, watching the changes like it was the most natural thing.

The turtle got up shakily. "Wh—what in tarnation was that!?" he exclaimed, looking around, recognizing the area being somewhat East of his shop. It was near one of the Echo Flower fields…a place where a lone Echo Flower stood at the end of one of the tunnels. Frisk recognized it as the flower that had warned them of the danger waiting behind them.

"Her thoughts shifted to another event," Gaster quickly explained.

Gerson looked things over, and then, though it was hard to tell, he went pale. "Oh gods…" He raced for the lone flower right as something was sent flying out of the strange grass. There was a shrill cry as a small form fell to the ground. A child, and as they dragged themselves away, they placed hands over the left side of their face. A young Undyne.

Something slunk out of the grass, a creature without anything redeeming in its appearance. The head was that of an angler fish, but the rest of its form was something humanoid, but remaining very amphibious with webbed digits, and fins on its back and tail. However, as it went to strike the child again, Gerson lunged forward. It was so swift; Frisk wasn't even sure what happened.

One moment, the beast was about to strike Undyne. The next…it had crumbled away into dust as Gerson hid something back in his shell. Frisk blinked, uncertain of how they had missed the action. However, they looked up at Gaster in confusion. "That was a beast monster," he explained to Frisk. "Do you know what those are?"

Frisk felt cold, and nodded, remembering Gerson explaining them. Monsters that had been twisted from dark emotions, into creatures that had no sense of morality, and that the best way to help them was to… Frisk gulped. Gerson had to deal with these once.

The turtle monster rushed over to the child. "Undyne!" He scooped her up with ease, while she sobbed, the world staying devoid of color, but despite that she still should have had one eye in this moment, Gerson saw that the bandages remained, keeping her blind, so she flailed at first, until she fully heard him, and then paused, reaching up, grabbing at his face to make sure it was him.

"If—this just didn't happen—" the child managed shakily. "I could have still seen them! I would have realized they tricked me—I could have at least—at the very least—I could have avenged Alphys!"

Gerson sighed softly, and shushed her gently, patting her back, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "Easy…" he murmured. "Easy, little urchin. Look, kid…even if you managed to still see…even if you managed to win…what would that have changed for Alphys?" She stiffened. "Undyne…she was gone. No matter how your fight ended, nothing would have changed…" Then, he smiled. "Under normal circumstances."

Undyne tilted her head in confusion. "Huh?"

Gerson chuckled. "Tell me, Undyne. Why would you have been so determined to save or avenge her?"

The child paused, while Alphys's soul poked over Frisk's shoulder. "Uh…" But the child then curled up, and refused to answer.

"Undyne…" Gerson murmured in amused exasperation.

"It—it doesn't matter," she hiccupped. "…she's gone…"

"Is she?"

"I let her die, Gerson!" Undyne shouted. "How am I supposed to just accept that!? I'm supposed to be Captain of the Royal Guard—but I can't even guard my best friend!"

Alphys's soul jerked, and then suddenly flew forward, light shimmering around it, and Alphys was formed, but there was an odd golden light that cloaked her. One could still make out her features, there was just a sheen of light over everything, and not only that, but there was a bit of a yellow glow around her, with specks of white light mixed in as well, as if something out of an…

An anime. Frisk wasn't surprised once they realized. What else could it have been, considering these two? Gaster however, was caught by surprise. Alphys had created her own entry way…

Gerson turned to Alphys and then smiled and held Undyne toward her. Alphys hesitantly came forward, and then reached out slowly, drawing her hand back at first, and then tried again. Despite that the child should have been blinded, she turned away from the light, shuddering. The turtle shook his head. "Come now, you two. What am I gonna do with you?"

Alphys looked to him uncertainly, and the turtle sighed. "Young'uns…they're just words, why do you have to go and complicate them?" he asked. "You heard Undyne loud and clear…why don't you give her an answer so that she can stop beating herself up?"

The scientist opened her mouth to speak, but fell silent instantly, nervous. Gerson dead-panned, then adjusted his hold on Undyne, looking down at the little child. "Come now," Gerson murmured. "If she's your best friend," he said to little Undyne. "Then wouldn't she understand, urchin?"

"Understand that I couldn't be there?" Undyne managed, and then shook her head against him.

"…I…I do understand," Alphys shakily managed, causing Undyne to give a choked gasp, turning wildly as she tried to track the voice, reaching out, clawing the air desperately, until Alphys grabbed Undyne's hand in her own. "Un—Undyne…y—you had official business, you had to train your guard against the human…and I understand. It was the right choice, after all. Protect the many, or the one?"

"I could have come back at night—I didn't have to stay at the bunkers!"

"And what would have changed?" Alphys asked.

"You wouldn't have died!"

Alphys smiled slightly. "No…things would have changed, but…not that much…my death might have been delayed but…Undyne, you saw what it did…didn't you? They're strong…they just need a few good hits…you would have just slowed them down, nothing more."

"But I—I could have—"

Alphys reached over, going red as she kissed the child's forehead, causing the child to go silent, stunned. "Do—don't worry about it…please?" Alphys asked shyly. "It's been sa—said and do—done…I—I'm not mad, and it's not your fault."

"Al—Alphys…" Undyne managed, reaching for her, and then jumped from Gerson, to Alphys, who barely caught her. However, she dropped to her knees, seeming to be a step ahead of the vision. Frisk blinked, and then had to rub their eyes. Kneeling on the ground, hugging Alphys tight was Undyne, at her correct age, still devoid of color, aside from the red on her bandages.

Alphys smiled. "It's okay…it's all right…everything will be f—fine…"

"Be quiet—I'm the one that's sup—supposed to be saying that."

"Then s—say it, Silly…."

"Don't be such a Nerd…"

Gerson shook his head. "You two gonna just toss little 'insults' at each other, or are you actually gonna say something?"

"Gerson," Undyne moaned, not even lifting her head.

"Just asking," he replied with an amused smirk.

"You're a jerk."

"Love ya too, Kiddo."

"Oh gods…"

Alphys couldn't help a giggle. "I didn't realize you could be so cute…"

"…stop using my words against me."

Alphys shook her head, and then reached forward. "Well, it's true," she managed, grabbing at the bandages, while Undyne stiffened.

"I don't think you should…"

"Don't you trust me?"

Undyne paused, and then nodded slowly. With that, Alphys gently unwrapped the bandages. Then, she held her shimmering hand to Undyne's face. The fish monster gave a grunt and slowly peeked open an eye…

And then another.

Alphys gasped in surprise, and then grabbed Undyne's face. "Uhhhh, what are you doing?" Undyne asked in bewilderment.

"Looking at you…?"

"Why…?"

"Because I'll probably only see you like this once, I'm ma—making the most of it."

"Fine." Undyne abruptly stood and held the lizard at arm's length, looking her up and down. "How are you doing that? You look like your anime character in the final episode with all those sparkles."

"I don't know," Alphys whined. "I just do…regardless…" She switched topics swiftly. "Will you be all right…?" Undyne looked away, and didn't answer. The lizard sighed. "I still say it's not your fault, but, regardless if it was or wasn't…I forgive you…"

Undyne blinked, and then a smile finally came to her, and she hugged Alphys close, paying no mind to her world as color was restored to everything. Gerson watched though, smiling as his own colors returned. "Whatever, you Nerd!"

"…I'll take that as a t—thank you."

"Better," Gerson chuckled. "Closest you're gonna get from this stubborn urchin."

Undyne mumbled, as if in complaint, but Alphys covered her now blushing face from whatever the fish monster said. Then, Undyne paused. "So…uh…now what?"

Gerson looked around, and Gaster pointed back to the West, but Gerson had another idea. "Why don't you ask Frisk?"

Undyne jerked. "Wait—they're here?" Then something else clicked to her. "WAIT!" She pointed at the turtle, now holding Alphys in just one arm. "WHY ARE YOU HERE!? YOU BETTER NOT BE DEAD!"

"Relax, Urchin. I ain't kicking the bucket just yet. I came down here with the kid—who's not dead either. We came looking for you and the others."

"I only get the general idea of what you're talking about."

"That's…all you really need to be honest."

Undyne huffed, and then looked around. "All right, Punk? Where are you?"

"Take another step, and you'll be on top of them," Gerson replied.

She paused, and reached forward, and finally, her hand found Frisk's. The child smiled, holding hers tight, as they finally faded into view. Undyne laughed and swept the child up as well. "There you are, ya little punk! Shoulda known you'd do something this insane—and get away with it!" Frisk insisted on a hug, and Undyne consented—if just this once, perhaps.

"Okay, hugging time is over," Undyne insisted a few moments later, but Frisk still pulled back with a smile. However, Undyne paused when she noticed that they wore San's hoodie…and Papyrus's scarf.

"We've got Papyrus back," Gerson assured Undyne, and he saw her relax. "We're looking for Sans still, but we should be close."

"Good…" she murmured. "They better both be all right, or I'll make them regret it."

"Of course you will."

"D—don't you think tha—that's a little harsh?" Alphys stammered.

Undyne laughed. "They're tough, they can handle it! Anyways, let's go, I'm getting tired of this place!"

With that, they headed back toward the West, but sure enough, Undyne ended up going too far. She and Alphys reverted into souls as Gaster caught Frisk. They looked at a monster soul with a soft green glow around it. Frisk smiled as five souls moved around them. They had found another…one more step forward. Perhaps this nightmare will soon end.


	32. Keeping Secrets

Getting back to the group had been simple enough, and Gerson took the time to explain most things. The point was that they had Undyne back. The group travelled for a bit, with Muffet staying awake to keep the much smaller island moving, though she had slept while the others had been in the vision, and she seemed a little better.

That evening, Grillby took care of dinner, wanting to return the favor in some form or another to the tired spider. The meal was uneventful, but Gaster found the turtle monster eating on the island edge away from the others.

"You sure like sneaking around," Gerson stated as he glanced up.

The monster shrugged, unable to speak and be understood currently with no one using a cell phone to connect with him. Gerson dead-panned. "Come over here," he said, and somehow pulled out pen and paper from his shell, though the paper looked rather old. "You don't need a cell phone to write, do you?"

There was an uncertain sound, and Gerson huffed. "Just because I said we should talk doesn't mean you have to be the topic. Look, it's annoying that you aren't saying much, but let's just ignore that, and find something else to talk about."

Gaster sighed, and took the pen and paper. It wasn't a surprise that the old turtle didn't use a cell phone, and it probably took a while to get him to use a dimensional box—but at least he had that. Gaster wrote quietly, and then handed the paper back. Gerson looked, eyes narrowing at the wide array of symbols. "Seriously?" Gerson asked, dead-panning at Gaster, who shrugged helplessly.

"Heh, I ain't seen symbols like this in ages," Gerson replied. "Forget what they're called though…" He gave a hum, reading it over. "Yeah, I can understand that," he said, before handing the paper back. Gaster blinked a few times in surprise, and then went back to writing.

 _'What would you like to speak about?'_ Gaster asked in confusion.

"Whatever strikes our fancy, I guess," Gerson replied. "How about the dragon? What's he like when he's not being angry at mortals?"

 _'He's always angry at mortals, but, when he's in more of a mood to talk, he can be pleasant. He's just formal and strict about how things work, and as you know, doesn't approve of his rules being broken.'_

"Heh, one of those, huh?"

 _'Definitely.'_

"How did you even meet him?"

Gaster shrugged. _'I woke up here after my accident and met him while wandering around the place. He wasn't sure how I managed this, and I honestly have trouble remembering as well. He seemed to assume I wouldn't cause trouble and showed me the exit, but…I can't be seen out there.'_

"And another thing. What's with him calling you Patience when you say your name is Gaster?"

Gaster flipped the page over. _'The dragon told me once that when you have countless souls, it's impossible to remember the names, so he goes by primary soul type. Mine is Aqua, so it's Patience. He'd even call Dogamy that and not care if he confuses others in the process.'_

"I guess seven names are easier to remember…" Gerson gave a long sigh. "Look, I can live with ya keeping secrets, so long as keeping them won't hurt anybody, but I want you to think about it. From what I'm hearing, if you don't say anything soon…" Gerson lowered his head, face shadowed. "You'll never get the chance to do so again." Gaster's hands stilled. "I just want you to think about that. You have the chance to talk to people, might want to use it to your advantage."

Gaster slowly shook his head. _'I've made my choice. I don't need people knowing my story.'_

Gerson shrugged. "If you're sure…just keep it in mind." With that said, he stood, and moved back toward the group with his empty plate.

Muffet blinked tiredly as she ate dinner. She had to make the island bigger for everyone to sit on, and soon, she'd have to extend it more so in order for everyone to rest peacefully. Mettaton came over, kneeling beside her. "Here you are, Darling. I was able to find some Spider Cider in our supplies still."

"Thank you…" she managed, taking a sip, finding it pleasantly warm.

"Is there anything else you need?" the robot asked. Ever since the incident, Mettaton was making sure she didn't have to move around a lot, as they didn't want to repeat the island giving way.

"I should be fine," she assured, finding it somewhat exasperating that she was being treated like a china doll, but she understood the reasoning.

The robot smiled, and then shifted his position, sitting down next to her. "I'm glad you're still keeping at it."

"I have to," she murmured with a shrug. "If I don't keep the island up, he'll be at risk."

"That's true. Though I have to admire the way you carry yourself."

Muffet paused, glancing to him. "What would you mean by that?"

"You don't fully fall into social standards."

"I wouldn't want to," she replied, folding her middle set of arms. "You know, Undyne breaks the social standards completely, being the Captain of the Royal Guard, but at the same time, she's very much what people call a tom-boy. Then there's still ones like me. Yes, I wear dresses, yes I like purple, yes I'm small and really I prefer to cook than to get my hands dirty, but still…that doesn't mean I can't handle myself."

"I understand what you're getting at," Mettaton murmured. Neither had to specify their topic. They each knew what the other meant. Social standards were always an issue, and so, people like them had to dance their way around it. "But you certainly let your case be known, unlike others."

"Just in this group though," Muffet replied. "It's not like I announce it to the world. Usually, I'm content with what I have, and I usually don't have to make something like that clear, but for now…" Her lower hands clenched tight. "I'm going to help," she murmured. "I don't care if I'm reaching my limits. If he's safer on the webs, then I'm going to keep them up until we finally find dry land again."

"Just don't overdo it," Mettaton warned. "If you're completely drained, there won't be an island at all."

"Don't worry," Muffet murmured. "I can hold on a little longer if we continue with this pattern here," she assured. Hopefully long enough, but they were in the home stretch at the very least.

After that, dinner finished, and everyone went to bed…and Flowey's fight continued.

The Boss Monster jumped away, sliding as he hit the ground, and then he smirked, raising a hand. He remembered enjoying this. "Remember when we were kids? We'd pretend to fight magic battles once in a while. Surely you remember some of the names…" The corruption stirred as a weapon formed, and he smirked. "Chaos Buster."

Instantly, the corruption was on the run as the weapon began to fire, but 'Asriel' had it under control, keeping his aim well, the corruption only narrowly dodging attacks, but Asriel wasn't about to make it that easy. As it charged and went for the final blast, Asriel released the weapon, and drew out two blades, and the corruption vaguely remembered. Chaos Saber.

However, it did no good to recognize the moves. After all, it had only been play fighting back when they were at the same height. It wasn't like they could see his pretend attacks back then. This being towered over them; making it beyond difficult to figure out just what would happen—not to mention that Asriel wasn't just flailing like a lunatic and that he was being precise, unlike when they had actually played.

The swords became faster, and the Corruption was dodging wildly, vaguely remembering that the little boss monster would change the name often, from Chaos Saber, to Chaos Slicer, and so the corruption found it typical that this one lasted longer. However, they didn't care. They weren't sure if Asriel was trying to jar out emotion using memories, but if he was, it wasn't going to work. They didn't care anymore.

Honestly, they thought the names were idiotic, and childish, but somehow, the way Asriel would call the names now…he somehow made them menacing. He snapped his fingers with a chuckle. "Shocker Breaker," he said as he lowered his head slightly, his eyes shadowed. There was a crackle of energy, and then lightning came down, hitting the corruption. They were on the move again, but the energy continued to shock them mercilessly.

Just when they thought they were done, Asriel reached out. "Star Blazing." The corruption jumped in alarm as a volley of stars came at them, turning the battlefield into a death trap. Dodging was near impossible, and they were pelted with some of the stars.

However, the Boss monster could sense that even now, he was reaching his limits. He had to hold on a little longer though! If he could last a little longer—then he could—then he could end this! He just had to buy a little more time. "You know what," he said, stalling as the corruption darted about, trying to find an escape. "I've got one other…"

He stepped forward, his face fully shadowed now. "Hyper Goner."

Asriel vanished out of sight, and the world became blinding as a horrid skull appeared with a force that was dragging the corruption in. They shrieked, clawing at the ground, trying to stop themselves from being sucked in—but it did no good for them as they finally lost their grip, and were pulled in.

Everything went black, and they fell roughly to the ground, quivering, finding it hard to even move. "Comfortable?" a voice asked. Looking up, they saw him, but it was different now. He seemed more machine than alive, a heart on his chest, his body ending without legs, his hands protected by gloves. His horns were longer, but the most noticeable difference were his wings that constantly changed colors. "No?" He chuckled. "Good."

Morning came, and Grillby was the first to be moving around, quietly making breakfast. Mettaton ended up waking second, and quietly, helped set things up. "How was she faring yesterday?" Grillby asked quietly.

"Tired," the robot replied. "However, doing much better than she was the other day."

"That's good to know," Grillby murmured.

"Did she worry you?" the robot asked casually as he handed the fire elemental a stack of plates.

"Of course she did," Grillby said as he grabbed his cell phone, opening a dimensional box, and catching a small crate as it warped into existence. "She's been trying to hold up this island the entire time we've been here because I can't touch the water, and we don't know when we'll get to dry land so that she can fully rest."

The fire elemental gave an irritated huff. "And even if I didn't need the island, she'd still continue with that thread that would lead us back."

Mettaton couldn't help an amused smile. "Unfortunately for you, you'd be right."

"Crazy woman," Grillby muttered, but didn't mean it as an insult.

The robot smiled. "Aren't they all?"

"Don't get me started…" Grillby replied as he started to prepare breakfast.

"I suppose I'll try to avoid opening that can of worms," Mettaton chortled. The fire elemental was just concerned. "But she'll be all right once she gets proper rest," Mettaton assured. "Her vitals aren't in any danger."

Grillby's hands paused in what he was doing. "…vitals?"

"Oh right, you wouldn't know." Mettaton looked up. "Alphys installed a lot more than I requested when making this body. She made it water _and_ lava proof. Built in cell phone and sound system, and detailed scanners. Not just for surroundings, but for monsters as well. So I checked Muffet's vitals when it happened…she's tired, but with rest, it recovers back to a normal level for her."

"It sounds like the Royal Scientist didn't forget anything for you."

"No…" Mettaton sighed. "She really didn't."

"I'm sure things will work out," Grillby murmured.

"I certainly hope so, I just…I really want to make it up to Alphys."

"Because coming down here wasn't enough?" Grillby asked, his flames softly crackling with a light trace of amusement.

"I do not cut corners with things," Mettaton replied with a smile, thankfully catching the humor. "And especially not with this. If I get the chance, then, well, I'll make up for all of it."

"It seems you're a better person then you lead yourself to be," Grillby replied.

Mettaton shook his head. "I was in sorry shape before I realized my mistake. I had ignored her—practically left her behind, and well…that was obviously the wrong thing to do, and before I could patch things up, she had…"

"But now your chance is here," Grillby stated simply. "Don't concern yourself too much with what was with this. If you're her friend, making it up to her will probably be easy. From what I heard, she's not the type to hold grudges."

"That, she is," Mettaton agreed.

"Then don't worry about it."

The two quietly hurried along with breakfast, and after the meal, the group was on the move again, with the island back to the original size of just enough space for Grillby in order to ease it up on Muffet. However, it wasn't long before Gaster vanished, and then came racing back, flying over the water. "Sans is up ahead!"

Frisk gave a gasp, and then rushed forward, only to give a cry of alarm as Grillby scooped them up, his flames crackling as he looked to Gaster. "Sans was a good customer, and a close friend, I believe I can help with this one." Dogamy and Gerson caught the underlying tone of a challenge in Grillby's voice.

Gaster simply nodded. "Very well then," he replied.

"Wait," Dogamy interrupted. "How will Grillby get back out of the vision?"

Gaster dipped his head. "I will come out of the vision first and alert you where we'll need the web island. If you don't trust me to guide him properly, I'm certain Frisk will alert him of where an edge is, they've seem to have caught on to the rules."

There was a quiet snap in Grillby's flames, and then the fire elemental stepped forward. "Then let's go," he stated simply. Muffet looked tiredly at him with worry, but quietly allowed the island to follow him. Until finally, Grillby and the others faded out of sight, even the souls that preferred to cluster around Frisk for the time being.

Muffet felt the pressure fade, and with a sigh of exhaustion, she let her hand drop, and sleep swiftly claimed her. Grillby stumbled as he tripped over some objects, and while he wasn't quite sure what he had ended up in, Frisk realized it was San's messy room. "SANS!" The three turned toward the door, hearing Papyrus shout.

Frisk gasp and jumped free of Grillby, running out the door, the souls following. Gaster went to move, but Grillby reached out, grabbing his arm. Gaster slowly turned, while the fire elemental quietly glared at him. "I don't know who you are, or what your goal is, but for everyone's sake, I hope you're telling the truth. If you end up hurting anyone here, I assure you, I'll have you regret it."

Gaster nodded. "I know you are distrusting of me, it's only natural. Believe what you wish, but for now…let's go find your friend." Grillby slowly released him, and Gaster looked at his sleeve to notice that it was slightly burnt.

"Apologies."

Gaster simply shrugged, and moved out of the room.

"Sans?" Papyrus called out of Grillby's sight. "Sans—are you even listening? Come now, brother, I need to know you're paying attention!"

Grillby frowned, taking everything in for a moment. He looked down at his hands, and then back up to the doorway. Somewhere here, was his friend, and somehow, he had to find a way to draw him out. If they did this, well, they'd be almost out, wouldn't they? He knew Frisk would try to find the Royal Guards, but he wasn't sure that they could save them. They would need someone close to them, and his best bet was Undyne, but at the same time…he wondered if that would be enough.

"Sans!"

Grillby snapped to attention, and then hurried out. It was time to see if he could fix any of this.


	33. Behind a Smile

Grillby moved out of the room and over to the railing, gripping the wood as he peered down. Laying on the couch, staring blankly forward, was Sans, his pupils dim in his sockets. "Sans!" came Papyrus's voice again; however Grillby didn't see the younger brother, though he heard the voice coming from the other room. The fire elemental walked to the other door, and found that Frisk was already in there…but aside from them, it was empty.

"What…?" Grillby asked in confusion.

"It's just his voice," Gaster murmured in concern as he peered in the doorway over Grillby's shoulder.

Frisk gave a whine of concern. The vision wasn't even fully formed, as if it only had the bare minimum. Grillby frowned, and then hurried down the stairs. "…there's nothing outside either," he observed.

"Sans!"

The small skeleton shifted slightly. "What is it, Pap?" he asked tiredly.

"We have to go on patrol today! Would you hurry!?"

Sans sighed, and started to move, but his left hand began to glow. He gasped, and shoved it into his pocket, looking panicked. "N…not today, Pap," he replied, eyes closing. "Not…not feeling well, probably not a good idea."

There seemed to be an impossible stretch of silence, before Papyrus finally replied. "O…of course, Sans. I wouldn't want you to get hurt by a human. Very well, stay inside and get some rest! I'll see you later!"

"Right…" Sans sighed softly as the house went quiet…and unless Frisk imagined it, the lights seemed to dim slightly now that Papyrus's presence seemed to have vanished. "Sorry, Pap…" he mumbled to himself. "Not a good day for me to be around you."

Grillby frowned, trying to understand just what was going on. Gaster came over, his pupils dimming as his eyes closed. "Sans has a lot of magic, even if it doesn't look it. Controlling it would have always been a challenge, and sometimes…he has to stay in, and level his emotions, or he could lose control of it."

The fire elemental seemed to raise a brow at the knowledge Gaster had on Sans, and then glanced back to the small skeleton, who just stared blankly. "Besides…" the small skeleton managed tiredly. "What's the point, Pap? All our efforts…what's it for? Just give it some time, and it won't mean anything at all…"

Grillby frowned, not understanding what it meant, while Frisk clasped their hands together tightly, trembling behind the other monsters, knowing _exactly_ what he was talking about. Sans meant the Resets…Frisk wasn't quite sure how aware he ever truly was of it, and some of his memories didn't make sense to them. He knew of Chara, but…Frisk could swear up and down that in this dimension, that timeline never happened.

"It's just not worth it…"

Sans slowly stood as the place warped around them. Grillby gasped, not expecting the change, and on instinct, stepped back as everything shifted. When things settled, Sans moved by them, not noticing their presence in the slightest. Gaster reached out for him, his hand nearly touching Sans's shoulder…but slowly, he let his arm drop.

"Wh…where is this?" Grillby asked in confusion.

Frisk paused. The workshop. They saw Sans rummaging around in drawers, pulling things out, looking them over, tossing things aside. "Where is it—I could have—there it is!" With a sound of relief, Sans pulled out a piece of paper, and leaned against the counter, slowly sliding down into a sitting position.

It was the picture of three poorly drawn beings with the words 'Don't Forget' written on them. Sans sighed, resting a hand on his skull. "Don't forget what though?" he asked, voice quivering. "I don't know what that means!" Grillby and Frisk stepped forward in concern, but Gaster moved back, eyes closed, head low.

Sans stood, slamming it down on the counter, swiping blue prints to the side in frustration, ignoring when they fell to the floor. "I've been trying so hard—but every time I think I'm getting somewhere!" He slumped down, head resting in his arms. "I'm just back at square one…I can't keep doing this…I need to find a breakthrough."

Though Frisk wondered if he meant his research…or of the power of resets.

Sans breathed shakily, grabbing at another piece of blue prints, crumpling it in his grasp. "Don't forget," he muttered to himself. "Don't forget what?" He looked at the hidden machine, and then back at the picture. "The machine? The research? Was this note just made in haste on the quickest thing someone found? Or did they mean the people in the picture?"

Sans groaned, leaning against the wall. "It's so poorly drawn, I have no idea who they are…"

"Who even made it?" Sans asked. "A stranger? Someone I know…?" He was quiet for several long moments. "Me…?" he finally asked quietly. "I just…I don't get it. Why would anyone be so desperate…? I wish I had more clues…or if I could just move forward."

"Sans…!?" the voice was faint, muffled, but the skeleton raised his head, hearing it.

He sighed. "Did I tell Pap about this? I think I did…or was that just a dream? I'm getting sick of it…I can't tell what's real and what's not anymore…I swore I had a breakthrough…but it's all gone. I thought I talked to Pap about this…but…now I don't think I did…" He gave a groan, clutching his skull. "Why is it becoming so hard?"

The skeleton slowly started putting things away. "What am I gonna do, Papyrus?" he murmured quietly. "I can't move forward in my research…or anything for that matter. So…what do I do then?"

Frisk glanced to the side, noticing Papyrus's soul peering forward worriedly, obviously wanting to go comfort his brother, but unlike Alphys, it seemed he needed a bit of assistance…and there simply just wasn't an opening for him in the moment, despite how badly needed it was.

Sans cleaned up slowly, as if to delay leaving, to go out there, and try to put actual effort into anything. In fact, all Sans wanted to do was just sit down, and not get back up. He was tired of trying…tired of being sent five steps back, for every one he took forward. He didn't want to keep doing this.

As he slowly moved, the place began to morph again, and this time, Grillby was prepared, carefully watching his surroundings, until finally, the place formed once more, and they found themselves at Sans's Snowdin station, with the skeleton at his post, head resting on his arms, not even truly watching his surroundings. "All right, Kid," Sans grumbled. "Gonna come today?" he mumbled to himself. "I know you're going to be here soon enough…"

"Sans!"

The skeleton sighed. "Incoming Papyrus in three…two…one…" He raised his head, and pulled what anyone could have mistaken for a genuine smile. Sure enough, Papyrus came into sight.

"Sans! Your puzzles got set off—you know you have to recalibrate them!"

"Sure thing, Pap, I'll get to it. Don't get so… _rattled_ by it."

"SANS!"

Sans chuckled. "Seriously…I'll get to it."

However, the soul beside Frisk knew that it wasn't going to happen. They had seen Sans before he managed that smile, and without warning, shot off. Grillby jumped in alarm as it sailed past him, and to the vision's counterpart of Papyrus. "I'm just going to take a break, I've been working down to the—"

"Bone?" Papyrus asked, folding his arms, and when Sans glanced up, he saw a rare concerned frown on his brother's face. Papyrus came around, and then sat down next to his brother. "So what's going on?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sans asked in confusion, and a bit of worry.

"What do you think I mean?"

"Papyrus, nothing is wrong," Sans assured.

"You sound tired," Papyrus murmured.

"Bro, it's a little boring doing this. Just sitting here and waiting for something to happen…you'd sound tired too if you had to stand still for a really long time."

"But you've been sounding tired at other times too," Papyrus pointed out.

"Long nights," Sans replied, not missing a beat. "Trying to do a project and it's been eating up a lot of time."

Papyrus folded his arms. His brother was good at this. Sans acted like nothing was wrong, and had a surefire answer when his brother was poking around for the truth. Papyrus knew that his brother was at the very least—telling partial lies.

"You said you weren't feeling well either," Papyrus replied, trying to work around the defenses his brother was tossing up.

Sans shrugged. "Just wasn't feeling well."

"Really?"

Sans nodded, and then glanced to his brother. "Pap, don't you have puzzles to recalibrate? Why are you still here?"

"Because I'm worried, Sans."

"Why?" Sans replied quickly, covering up his surprise the best he could.

"You've been acting strange," Papyrus stated. "And it seems so recent, but yet, you've been like it for quite a while at the same time. You aren't…fully you; I guess is how to put it? You're always a jokester, but lately, you just put up a few puns now and then. They're not as clever as they used to be. You don't put your all into anything anymore… Sans, I notice these things…won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Sans stood, face shadowed, despite his smile remaining. "Nothing's wrong, Pap. You're worrying over nothing…I'm going to Grillby's." With that, he darted out of the station.

"Sans!" Papyrus exclaimed as he jumped up. "Wait a minute!" The vision began to morph again, and Papyrus gasped, the vision of himself fading, swiftly leaving only a soul that hastily flew back to Frisk in a frantic state. Frisk gently grabbed him, lost and confused. This had worked with Asgore and Alphys, so why did Papyrus get kicked back out?

However, the new surroundings cause them to raise their head. Grillby's? The fire elemental perked, looking around to find that there was hardly a soul in the place. In fact, there were only two. Sans, who sat at the bar…and Grillby, who was quietly cleaning glasses, while Sans laid his head down, one hand holding a bottle of ketchup.

Gaster came forward. "You have an opening here," he informed the fire elemental.

"I see…" Quietly, he moved around to his vision's self, silent as he watched, and then stepped forth, his flames going odd for a moment, before settling as he adjusted himself. He looked down as he set the cloth and cup to the side. "Sans…?" he asked, and when he didn't get a response, he breathed out. "We've been closed… …for an hour…"

"Yeah…sorry Grillb…I just need another minute…"

The fire elemental came back around, and sat down next to him, and at first, neither of them spoke, so the only sound was Grillby's flames. "You could stay longer…" Sans blinked, and looked up in surprise.

"Seriously?"

"But you already know the catch."

Sans groaned.

Grillby turned, folding his arms. "I've let you leave many times before, and not let you tell me what's wrong. We've repeated this moment so many times, and now, I'm putting my foot down. Sans." He leaned in close, his light illuminating Sans's skull. "Tell me what's wrong."

Sans glanced away. "There's nothing wrong, Grillby, I'm just tired." Grillby didn't say anything, and just kept looking at the skeleton. Sans shifted uncomfortably, and nervously looked at the fire elemental. "Come on, Grillby, don't look at me like that—I'm being honest. There's nothing wrong, there's no need to give me that look."

Grillby didn't so much as move outside of his flame's natural motions, and just kept looking at Sans. It was then that Frisk realized that Grillby was the type of person to ask _once_ and only once. He wasn't going to say or do anything else until he got Sans to break down.

"Seriously, Grillby," Sans said, but Frisk could hear his voice starting to falter. "Ev—everything's fine, why wouldn't it be fine? Come on, Grillb, there's nothing wrong, I'm—I'm just tired…please…?"

Still, the fire elemental refused to look away, and Sans seemed to shrink back. "Grillby, I swear—" He had raised a hand up to prove a point, and Grillby caught his wrist.

"Whatever you are about to swear, better be the truth," he stated simply, and then allowed Sans to slip his hand back.

"Grillby," Sans managed, trying to slip his way out of it. "Can we not? Here, I'll go, I'll pay back the tab in full—double even—just come on! There's nothing for you to worry about!" Grillby folded his arms again, quietly staring at him. "Grillby!" Sans shouted, finding himself desperate, and somehow trapped by the fire elemental, even though he had a clear shot to the front door if he truly wanted to run.

Except it wouldn't do any good because he practically lived next door to the place, and Grillby was well aware. Even if he got away now, the fire elemental would eventually snag him. "Come on, seriously," Sans managed, voice quivering. "Everything's fine…it's just fine…stop looking at me like that…"

Grillby's only response was to lightly shake his head, and sure enough, he finally got Sans to his breaking point as the skeleton buried his face in his hands, shaking harshly. Grillby's flames dimmed and then he reached forward, resting a hand on Sans's shoulder, waiting for the skeleton to recover as he rested his skull on the surface of the bar.

Frisk gave a soft sound of concern, and slowly came over, but Grillby didn't seemed phased. "Take your time," he finally said. "I can wait a little longer." Sans didn't reply, but after a few minutes, he finally raised his head and drew a hand over his eyes swiftly, before hesitantly glancing to the fire elemental. "…ready?"

Sans shook his head…Grillby just continued to stare at him, until finally, Sans gave in. "I hate that you can do that," he moaned.

"Apologies."

"You're not even sorry."

Grillby shrugged. "Now you're just procrastinating."

"I just—it's just…I…" Sans looked away. "Gods, how do I explain this without sounding insane?"

"Just say it, I won't judge you. I just want to help, and I can't help if I don't know what the problem is."

Sans sighed, sliding a hand over his face. "It just feels pointless, Grillby," Sans managed weakly. "Nothing ever changes…I'm beginning to forget what I've done for real, and what's part of dreams—I swear the same day can repeat itself three times in a row—not an exaggeration, the same literal day. My brother will say the same things, do the same things—everyone in here does the same damn thing and they don't notice, and I'm so sick of being stuck like this! I just—I JUST WANT SOMETHING TO CHANGE!"

"And it did…" Sans managed quietly. "It did change…and I thought that maybe we could finally get out of this mountain, and finally get our happy ending…but I couldn't be more wrong. Look at this mess…friends…my brother…they're all gone, and now that I am…we left the kid with barely anything, and I had to ask you to take care of them because I didn't have anyone else."

"Sans," Grillby murmured. "It was out of your control," he reasoned. "I understand the premise of days repeating themselves; I know it's something that can happen, even if I—and many others can never notice it. You're not insane, my friend. Believe me, if you were, you wouldn't even know."

"…you're not good at this whole 'comfort with words' thing…"

"I've always been a listener, not a talker," Grillby admitted. "However, you need to be talked to, so I'll try my best." He waved it aside, and continued. "Sans, from what I saw, they were powerful for their kind," Grillby said. "I don't know how much of that power was theirs, but I saw your wound…and you're a dodger—for them to hit you…"

Sans flinched. "Yeah…"

"You're quite hard on yourself," Grillby stated. "But you've been suffering more than others, have you not? You're just good at hiding it all behind a smile, and those god awful puns."

"Hey, it makes people laugh."

"That's not my point." Grillby sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Sans, I can't understand how hard it's been for you, repeating days, and going through losing so many around you, and while I can't promise that everything will be all right…I can promise that you have friends that will listen to you—even your brother."

"I can't let Pap know about this," Sans managed. "He's better off not knowing…"

"Then at least talk to me," Grillby reasoned. "You know I'll always listen, at the very least."

"But I'm just troubling you."

"Sans." Grillby breathed out and removed his glasses; his bright pale orange, nearly white eyes looked at him. "The moment you enter this building, you are my customer, and the moment you are my customer, it is my duty to take care of you. Sometimes it'll be as simple as taking your order or it could be like this, where you need to talk. I'll be here listening, and so if you need something, at least ask. Maybe I can't give it, but I can at least put my two cents in."

"…can I use those two cents to pay off my tab?"

"Sans, stay on topic," Grillby said, but the light crackle told the skeleton that Grillby was avoiding a chuckle.

"…I don't know what to ask though," Sans managed. "If I'm just in a loop, what am I going to do? I don't know what I want, or what I need anymore."

"You need a reason to move forward," Grillby replied.

"And what's that gonna be?" Sans asked. "They're all gone… _I'm_ gone, and all I can do is hope that my plan worked…but since I'm still here…" He shuddered. "They're gone too, I couldn't save them either…"

"Your plan worked."

Sans shook his head. "How would you even know that?" he mumbled.

"How did I get you to stay here this time?" Grillby asked.

Sans frowned, confused. "I…don't get it."

"If this is an illusion, why am I breaking the rules and doing something I've never done before? Aren't you just living memories?"

"What? Why are you…?"

Grillby smiled. "Sans, your plan worked—you just have a stubborn human who decided to find a way to retrieve you…and since I had to make sure they didn't get themselves killed…"

"Wait…you're the…real…?" Grillby nodded. "Oh gods!" Sans exclaimed, covering his face. "Why did you tell me now?"

"Because we needed to talk this out," was the reply.

"Gods…" Sans moaned, peeking out between his fingers. "I don't…I still don't understand though…"

"A group of us came with Frisk down here where you went…we found the others, Sans. We just needed to get you."

Sans jerked out of his seat. "You found Papyrus!?"

Grillby nodded. "Along with Alphys, the King and Queen, and even Undyne."

"Pap…you found him…" Sans looked around. "Where are they—?"

"Behind you."

Sans whipped around, but paused when nothing was there. "I don't…see anything."

"They're there, I assure you," Grillby said as he stood.

Sans glanced back at Grillby over his shoulder, and then hesitantly reached out, and then…his hand found Frisk's. He blinked in surprise, squinting, and then stared as Frisk showed up in his view, wearing his hoodie…and still wearing Papyrus's scarf. "Oh, Kid…" He yanked them close as they sniffled, and then fell into tears, burying their face into him. "You're crazy, you know that?"

They didn't care. They snuggled into him, and then Sans looked up to see all the other souls, and hesitantly, he reached out, the one with the orange glow coming to him. "Pap…" Sans breathed out shakily. "You're okay…sort of…heh…so…I guess, Pap…" He gave a tired smile. "You can literally do a heart attack."

Grillby face palmed as the soul went wild, flying around in annoyance. "Sans," the fire elemental muttered in exasperation. "You weren't even trying."

"Yeah, I'll think up better ones later."

Grillby chuckled. "I think your brother would rather you not."

"Too bad," Sans murmured as the soul came back over. He sighed, and looked down. "Well, Grillby, do you have a crowbar in the back or something? I'm kinda stuck with the kid."

"Like a crowbar would do any good."

"Eh, good point."

Grillby smiled, putting his glasses back on, and then glanced to Gaster, who had stepped out the front door, and then came back a minute later. "There's webbing for you at the exit."

Grillby nodded, and looked to Sans. "Well, my friend…?"

Sans looked up, and smiled. "I think I'm good…" He sighed with a smile. "Thanks, Grillby. Really. It…it means a lot, especially since you put up with a lot around me…anyways how could I make it up to you?"

"You could pay off you tab," Grillby replied, with a lace of amusement. "But I know I'm asking for too much."

"Hey," Sans said with a smile. "I could totally pay it off."

"I'll hold you to your word then."

"Sure thing, Grillb."

With that, the fire elemental had him come to the front door. He stepped onto webbing, but Sans vanished, causing Frisk to fall on the strings. They gave a quiet grunt, and looked up to see another monster soul with a deep blue glow around it. They smiled as the souls came close, and Grillby was caught slightly by surprise when he heard the child laugh. They had their family back.

The journey however, was not over yet.


	34. True Night's Rest

Dogamy couldn't help a soft chuckle as he grabbed the child, and gently tossed them up onto his shoulders, the six souls swirling around. Questions were directed at Grillby, but he kept answers simple, and finally, after things settled, Gerson glanced up. "So, what's the grand plan now?"

Gaster moved over. "Your human companion would want to find the souls of the two Royal Guards that fell to the other human." Everyone looked to Frisk, who nodded vigorously.

Grillby gave a worried hum. "Who would be best to help them though?"

"I could," Dogamy replied. "After all, they were next in line to be Captain, so I would see them quite frequently…and if I'm not suitable for the task, then possibly Undyne if she can find a way in."

Gaster nodded. "In that case, let us be on our way."

Muffet gave a hum of agreement, sitting up in Mettaton's hold, looking a little bit better now that she a decent amount of rest, much to Grillby's relief. "I can keep going," she assured. "We just need two more, right?"

"That's the spirit, Darling," Mettaton murmured with a bit of a smile. With that, the group was on the move.

To Grillby's surprise, Napstablook came floating over, but didn't say anything. For a few minutes, Grillby continued walking, but then finally turned. "Yes?"

"Oh—um…oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"It's all right," Grillby replied. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Oh…I…just wanted to ask…" Napstablook came very close. "Did everything go okay?"

"Which way would you mean that?"

"…Gaster."

Grillby's flames crackled quietly. "Well enough," he stated. "I still don't like his secrets."

"I know…" Napstablook mumbled. "He's sneaky too…"

"Sneaky?" Grillby questioned.

"He tries to look at the souls at night sometimes…I'd stop him, but…I don't know."

"Why would he be going near the souls?" Grillby asked, going on guard at the idea.

"I don't know," Napstablook replied helplessly. "I tried to ask, but…he didn't seem…bad about it when he got caught and just went with it…"

"That doesn't make me feel any better about it," he replied.

"I'm sorry…maybe I shouldn't have said anything…"

"On the contrary, I'm glad you did," Grillby stated. "Though it'd probably be best to talk to the others later," he muttered softly. He looked up ahead at the skeleton monster, his ember eyes narrowing in suspicion, but he found that things didn't make sense.

If Gaster was to show malice, it was as the skeleton monster pointed out, odd that the dragon didn't send him off. However, it didn't explain why he snuck to see the souls. What was the point in his actions?

Not knowing made Grillby uneasy, and so he kept his gaze squarely at the mysterious monster, determined to not let him do anything suspicious while he was present. The group continued through the dark, Dogamy and Gerson somewhat ahead, making sure there were no sudden drop offs in the water. However, eventually, Gaster returned with surprising news.

"There's dry land up ahead!"

Everyone jerked to a halt. "LAND!?"

"Are you serious!?" Gerson exclaimed.

Gaster nodded. "There's a wall of rock shortly afterwards, but there's a decent amount of shoreline to use."

Dogamy looked up. "Then what are we waiting for?"

With no protests, the group rushed forward. In less than five minutes, Gaster motioned a hand for them to stop, because, due to Grillby's inability to light objects in the abyss, it was impossible to see where the water ended and the land began. So, Gerson went forward first, and perked. "There's a bit of a slope starting here," he informed, as he climbed an invisible rise.

Dogamy followed after him, and then reached out, and after taking a dozen or so steps, he found the wall, then he touched the ground. It wasn't stone…sand? No…soil. It wasn't damp, but it didn't feel like the dirt in Hotlands either. He stood. "Grillby, it's good over here."

Mettaton looked around, activating his scanners as Muffet created a pathway for the elemental. "It seems to be a long shore line," Mettaton observed. "I guess it's circling around this…" He looked up, frowning. "Wall? Really large rock? I have no idea; I'm relying on sonar here."

Grillby stepped onto dry ground, and the web island vanished as Mettaton came onto shore with Muffet. "Whatever it is," Grillby murmured. "At least it'll offer Miss. Muffet some time to rest."

"Thankfully…" she mumbled, letting her long thread attach to the unseen wall as Mettaton gently set her down on the ground, surveying the area. "There seems to be enough room on the shore to comfortably camp and then some."

Gerson gave a contented sigh as he sat down. "Then how about we rest here a few days? I don't know about you, but I've about had it with walking. And we still have two souls to find before we can head back up."

"Do we have enough supplies for that long?" Napstablook asked.

Muffet smiled. "Between the two of us," she said, motioning to Grillby. "I think we have plenty."

Gaster dipped his head. "I'll scout around for the guards," he said, quickly taking his leave.

Frisk looked around, and then waved at Napstablook, beckoning them over so that they could take Flowey. They knelt down, digging their fingers into the dirt, creating a little mound, before taking Flowey out. They dumped out the old soil, quickly replacing it with the new one they found, and then put him back in.

Flowey opened his eyes tiredly. "Wha…?" he mumbled. They pointed at his pot. He looked down, blinking. "Hmm…new…soil? …thanks…" Almost instantly though, he fell back asleep, though Frisk hoped he'd feel better after some rest now that he had new soil to put his roots into.

Frisk let him be on the ground, and stood, looking around curiously, and then started to wander. "Dearie?" Muffet called. "Where are you going?" The child replied that they wanted to explore. "I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"I can go with them," Napstablook volunteered. "If trouble comes, I can literally bring them straight back…oh no…I'm sorry, maybe they should…"

"It's a stretch of ground," Gerson replied. "And we haven't run into trouble. Just don't go swimming, kid, all right?" Frisk nodded, and then ran a hand along the wall. "But if you can't hear us talking, then you've gone too far!" Gerson barked after them.

"I'm talking to that child when they get back," Grillby murmured. "For now, let's focus on dinner."

"Allow me to help, Sir," Muffet said. "I'm feeling much better."

Grillby's flames lit a bit more. "I'd certainly appreciate the help, Miss. Muffet."

She giggled, and then grabbed her cell phone, activating her dimensional box, summoning what she needed. "I'm glad we found you some actual land to stand on, Sir."

"As am I. After all, I, for one, have grown rather tired of water."

Muffet giggled. "I can't imagine why, Sir."

"Neither can I."

She sighed with a smile. "I actually saw them smile, Sir."

"Indeed." Grillby's light softened. "Finding Sans definitely aided in bringing some life back into them. Maybe they won't be so hasty to jump into other things now that they have their little family back."

"Hopefully," Muffet replied. "They've seem to have gotten you worrying to no end."

"I promised Sans I'd take care of them," Grillby replied. "And children give me no end to worrying. Fiona was like that as a child."

Muffet paused. "Fiona…" She snapped her fingers on two of her hands. "That's your niece, right?"

Grillby nodded. "Yes, she's the green-flamed elemental."

"Right, I saw her from time to time in Hotlands," Muffet assured. Then she smiled. "So you took care of her as a little one?"

"Indeed. Her parents are beast monster hunters," Grillby explained. "So often, I'd end up taking care of Fiona. It was routine almost, for her to come at the end of the school week, and then stay with me until school started again. So a weekend…breaks…even the long vacation between school years."

Muffet paused. "That often?" she asked.

"Her parents were often in deep areas of the underground, it wasn't safe for her to tag along…"

"I know, but…"

"Couldn't be helped…for the most part," Grillby stated. "Honestly, sometimes, they weren't there for her birthday because they were on a major hunt. I don't fully fault them for that. It's a dangerous, but important job, however…" Grillby shrugged. "I wished they would have made it up to her better, than just, spend a day with her, and be gone again."

Muffet nodded slowly. "I agree…it sounds like you handled a lot of her birthdays though…"

"Indeed," Grillby replied, and then chuckled. "Not that it was difficult to get my patrons to help me with it. They all thought she was the most endearing little girl in town." Grillby shook his head. "I hope to celebrate her birthday when we get back."

"Oh?" Muffet asked. "Was her birthday recent?"

Grillby nodded. "Just a bit before we left."

"Then, Sir, if I may…could I assist you?"

"Truly?" he asked in surprise.

Muffet nodded. "I'm a baker, I can even make a cake, and if she's in high school, well, there's big birthdays all around that age. She deserves a little more extravagance."

Grillby chuckled. "I'd certainly appreciate it, and I'm sure she would as well."

While they continued with dinner preparations, Mettaton caught Dogamy's attention. "May I have a few words with you?" he asked the canine, beckoning him away from the group.

"What is it?" Dogamy asked once they were a bit away.

"I just wanted to pass on something Blooky told me about Gaster."

Instantly, Dogamy's ears rose. "What about him?" he asked quickly.

"Blooky thought he was acting rather suspicious sometimes…" With that, he explained what the ghost observed with Gaster and the souls.

Dogamy frowned, tapping his foot as he thought about it. "Something's odd though…hm…did he do anything when you went for Alphys?"

Mettaton gave a helpless shrug. "Nothing really. He stayed behind and let me do all the interacting."

"Hrrm…" Dogamy glanced over and headed back to the group. "Did anyone else see Gaster with odd interactions?" Gerson shook his head, and nudged the flower awake. Flowey blinked, looked up, and then shook his head when the question was repeated.

"And Napstablook would have mentioned if he had done anything odd in our Queen's vision," Mettaton replied.

Grillby snapped his fingers, starting a controlled fire. "Well, I'm not sure if it's really odd," he started.

"What is it?" the canine questioned.

"When Sans walked past us, he reached out for him, and then pulled back."

Dogamy looked at the others. "He didn't do that with any of you?"

They all shook their heads.

"Huh…"

"What are you thinking?" Mettaton questioned.

"Nothing too important," Dogamy replied. "I'll give it some thought, and if it bothers me when Gaster gets back, then I'll have a bit of a talk with him. We might be worrying over nothing though. Anyways," he said, signaling the conversation was over. "Do you two need anything?"

"I think we have a frying pan in one of the packs," Grillby murmured. "I wouldn't mind that."

"Oh, and my tea pot—I think I have enough for another serving."

"Right…" he looked at the pile of packs. "All right, Gerson, Mettaton, you're helping me on this hunt."

Gerson snickered. "At least you should be able to find the tea pot well enough on your own; it'll have that scent to it." Regardless, he got up to help the canine.

"At least tea has a good scent…"

Further off, Frisk and Napstablook followed the wall of whatever it was that they had ran into. Napstablook wondered if it was an island, or if they had somehow found a border to the dark ocean. As they floated after the human, they smiled. "Souls are very pretty…" The child paused, and then turned, looking to them as they tilted their head.

"Oh…" Napstablook started to go transparent. "Um…well…they look like a rainbow around you."

Frisk looked up at the souls over their head, and then smiled as they realized the ghost was right. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue…all they were missing was indigo and violet. Frisk giggled sweetly, and the souls swirled around in response to hearing their laughter. Napstablook smiled, becoming less transparent. It was rather endearing, honestly, seeing the child happy again.

After all, everything was almost put back together, and Frisk had full confidence they could find some way to give the souls bodies again. All they had to do now was recover the guards from their visions, and then they could start heading home, and figure out what to do from there.

What mattered to the ghost was that, after so long, Frisk was smiling—and even laughing a little, content with having them all back—even if it wasn't perfect just yet, but it seemed their presence was enough to cheer them up, which Napstablook found helpful.

They paused in their exploring however as Frisk made a sound of confusion, and Napstablook saw why. "Oh…is that…wait a minute, is that a light?" Sure enough, there was a light in the black of the wall. Frisk frowned, feeling around, and then knelt down with a gasp, beckoning to the ghost. Apparently, there was a small crevice that they could get through.

"Oh—be careful!" the ghost called frantically, chasing after them.

Frisk gave a grunt, squeezing through it, barely having enough room, and the only reason Napstablook could follow was because they could phase. It took a few moments, but Frisk eventually got through, as did Napstablook, but then they both paused, staring wide eyed—sounds of awe escaping them both.

In this room, light revealed what this place was. It was a large area completely closed off by rocky walls, the only opening seeming to be the way that Frisk crawled in. Napstablook looked up for a moment, but it seemed to have a high ceiling, as they couldn't see the top.

However, their attention went to the sources of light. There were seven tall pillars in the rocky area where strange plants, from flowers, to trees grew, but the pillars towered over them. It was almost like looking at neon tubes except they glowed quite brightly, their light filling the odd chamber in different colors, as no pillar shared the same one.

There was red, aqua, orange, blue, purple, green, and yellow, and so each section of the chamber was illuminated in a different color. There was an eighth pillar as well, but it was dark, and held no light. "Wow…" Napstablook murmured, floating around some of the strange plants while looking at the pillars. "This is really beautiful."

Frisk gave a sound of excited agreement, and then rushed forward. They explored for a while, weaving around rocks and trees, peering at flowers, and coming somewhat close to the pillars, but they both thought it was best to probably not get too close. It wasn't quite clear what they were, and Frisk knew better than to just stick their hand in it.

However, Napstablook eventually realized that it was getting late. "Oh no, Frisk, we need to head back, dinner's bound to be ready…" Frisk gasped, and swiftly, they rushed off. They managed to make it back in time for their meal, with only a light scolding, but honestly, the beauty of that chamber had been worth it.

With that, they had dinner, and finally went to bed with Muffet finally being allowed to have a true night's rest.


	35. Eyes of Crimson Red

Frisk was one of the first ones up the next morning. They stirred in their sleeping bag, and slowly awoke. They didn't quite want to leave the warmth of their sleeping bag just yet…but they couldn't help a smile as they sensed the souls pressed close to them. They laid there for a few extra minutes, enjoying the fact that they were all there. Then, Frisk finally crawled out with a yawn, looking around to see that Grillby was the only other one up aside from Napstablook, who never slept in the first place.

The fire elemental was poking at the dying fire from last night, trying to revive it without needing more wood. He looked up from it as Frisk came over. "Good morning, little one," he said, and then patted the ground beside him. "Have a seat; I want to talk with you for a few minutes."

Frisk frowned in confusion, but consented. Grillby glanced to them. "No more jumping head first into things." Frisk tilted their head and he sighed. "You've been reckless, Frisk, ever since you got back to Snowdin, you've acted a bit wildly. Every plan you made was in haste, and thankfully, didn't fall through for the most part—however—that needs to stop now."

The child squirmed, looking down. Now they understood why Sans couldn't keep it together. Grillby was intimidating. "Don't get me wrong, child, I understand that you were trying to find a way to save them. After all, I had lost Sans just as much as you had. I understand that pain and loss very well. However, Frisk, if you don't look where you leap, you'll end up falling."

The fire finally started again. "Remember, Sans left you in my care, and as such, it's my duty to keep you safe…and I can't do that if you're throwing yourself head first into places like the Abyss…and so easily placing your trust in someone like Gaster." Frisk made a sound of concern and questioned that last part. "Frisk, he's someone that just…showed up. How do you just assume they truly mean well?" Frisk shrugged.

"Exactly," Grillby replied as he started to prepare breakfast. "You can't. You've been a fortunate child. Most monsters don't want to harm you—not outside of gaining freedom anyways…but, what I'm trying to get at is that you haven't run into truly malicious people outside of that human…but one day, you will, and you need to be ready for that."

Frisk gave a sad sound, and he shook his head. "It's remarkable that you want to give everyone you meet the benefit of the doubt, I think it's rather nice that you do, but one day, that habit could come back to bite you. I'm not saying to instantly distrust them—" Frisk pointed out that it seemed like Grillby instantly distrusted Gaster. Grillby huffed, and continued.

"I'm saying that you should exercise caution," he finally said. "Not everyone will be as nice as others," he reasoned. "And I just want you to be safe, Frisk," he assured. Frisk gave a quiet sound, and then nodded their understanding. "Then…no more secrets?" His flames crackled quietly with the occasional snap. "I don't understand this ability you have, and I find it frustrating that you withheld the information—only telling it when it became useful to do so."

The child mumbled something and the flames crackled. "Frisk…we want to help you…but we can't do that if you do things like this. Hiding away information—running head long into things without a plan—trying to go on your own into dangerous places like this…" They winced, looking up sheepishly. Gerson told him…

"However, it's too late to turn back now, but…" To Frisk's surprise, he reached out, resting a hand on their head a bit affectionately, trying to show that while he was upset with them, he was only doing it out of concern. "…will you be a bit more careful in the future?"

Frisk gave a hum of agreement, and then inched over closer, and hugged him, mumbling an assurance, as well as an apology. Grillby paused, and then smiled, hugging them in return. "You are forgiven, little one—though there was no real need for an 'I'm sorry'…or maybe I just wasn't actually expecting you to be so agreeable since we're still down here…"

The child simply mumbled another one, and hugged him tighter to assure that they'd do better.

Once breakfast was ready, the group gathered, aside from Gaster, who seemed to still be out there scouting around. Last night, they had been planning out what they would do, so Napstablook and Frisk never mentioned the chamber they had found. However, seeing as there wasn't much conversation wise, Napstablook quickly added to it.

"Frisk and I saw something really nice…" Napstablook murmured.

"And what's that, Blooky?" Mettaton asked, leaning back, his hands supporting him.

"A chamber with lights, it's on the other side of that wall."

"You can get past the wall?" Gerson questioned in alarm, eyes widened as he leaned forward, hands on his knees as he sat almost cross-legged.

"And there were lights?" Grillby asked.

"That actually lit up the area?" Muffet added.

Frisk gave a hum of confirmation. "Yes," the ghost assured. "There was a little crevice—it's barely big enough for Frisk to get through, but it leads into the area behind the wall. It's really pretty…"

"What was it like exactly?" Dogamy questioned.

"Um…there were these pillars, and most of them—except for one all had a pretty light that illuminated the place." Napstablook smiled. "It made me think of a party room with one of those disco balls…"

Mettaton sighed. "Such a shame I can't get in there. I'd love to get pictures."

Napstablook laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, like I said, too small…"

"But you can get in there," Muffet pointed out.

"Yeah…?"

Gerson chuckled. "If you really wanted, you and the kid could use your cell phones, right? Last I heard, those things are basically computers, cameras, and who knows what else all rolled up into one."

"Oh! That's right, we could take pictures of it. Oh, I'm sorry, I should have thought of that sooner."

"Never mind the apologies!" Mettaton exclaimed as he jumped up. "You two need to go get those pictures!"

"Mettaton!" Napstablook exclaimed, while everyone else dead-panned.

"Oh, right, sorry, got carried away," the robot murmured sheepishly. "After being down here so long, I really want to see some other colors."

"Nah, we get ya," Gerson said, poking at the fire with a loose stick from the wood that had been gathered.

Dogamy nodded. "We're a little deprived of visuals down here."

"Just don't rush the dearies, that's all," Muffet replied.

"At least let them finish breakfast," Grillby added, grateful for the fact that Frisk was eating much better now.

After they ate, Frisk smiled, and jumped to their feet with a thumb's up. Then, they grabbed Napstablook, and rushed off, cell phones ready to take pictures of the chamber for the rest of the group.

The rest of the day was uneventful, though the group didn't really mind, as it allowed Muffet much more time to recover her magic. By lunch time, Napstablook and Frisk had come back with pictures that Mettaton was absolutely amazed by, and became a little extra disappointed that he couldn't get in there, causing Napstablook to stay beside him for the rest of the day.

In the morning of the next day, most were sound asleep, except for that little ghost monster, as Gaster finally returned. He silently landed on the ground, looking at the mass of sleeping monsters. He floated slowly, nearing Frisk, looking silently down at them.

"I see you're back."

Gaster turned in slight surprise to see Dogamy clenching his battle axe as he sat against the wall. He slowly raised his head, eyes narrowed as he stood, and held up his cell phone, signaling that he'd understand what Gaster said.

Then, the canine continued. "Napstablook mentioned how you would always try to go near the souls upon night one, and because you did it at the beginning, you cast quite a bit of suspicion on yourself. Others were wondering if you were trying to steal the souls." Gaster said nothing in his defense.

"However, as I asked questions, I began to connect things together. You did something with only two souls, but not the other four. And those two had been Papyrus, and Sans. The first and last we recovered, but as I put the pieces together, I realized that it had been mostly coincidence that Papyrus was the first."

"You reached out for them," Dogamy murmured as he stood. "A simple move, but you did it only with those two. Brothers. Skeleton monsters." He took a step forward. "One thing I wondered was why you wanted to help us. I thought it was a little too nice to have just found someone who was willing to lead us through such a land without gaining anything, but, you have a reason for us to accomplish this, don't you?"

"I'm a dog monster, I'm pack oriented, and I tend to recognize close bonds. With you, it was unexpected, so I didn't notice with Papyrus…but when Grillby mentioned Sans, well, I put two and two together. You knew them, before your accident. I can't say it for certain, but you were likely good friends at the least, but, I have a feeling that it was a bit more…hmm…perhaps…family?" Gaster looked away.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Dogamy questioned. "And you're too old to be a sibling, but a little young still to be a grandparent of any sort…so…you're likely an uncle, but…if I was to go out on a limb, maybe perhaps, you're their father?"

Gaster was silent for what seemed like forever, before he shifted his gaze, and looked up at Dogamy. "And if I am?" he asked simply.

Dogamy shrugged. "It doesn't change much for me, but I think, if you're going to give up your soul to the dragon, you're not going to see them again for who knows how long—if ever." Dogamy looked at him squarely.

"I'll make it clear, Gaster."

Dogamy moved his arm, and pointed with his weapon toward the souls. "They won't be here forever, and you're on a time limit. You might not think you should say anything to them, but…you might want to consider it while it's still an option."

Gaster sighed, and slowly shook his head. "Appreciated, however…I already made my choice."

Dogamy huffed. "Just let it sit with you, there's always time to change your mind, after all."

"On other topics," Gaster stated, with a tone that meant to drop the other conversation. "I found the Royal Guards—one of them at least. Please speak with your group when they wake so that we can figure out what we want to do, and when we want to do it."

Gaster floated off without another word and Dogamy eventually went back to sleep. However, while he slept peacefully, Flowey was having the exact opposite as he struggled within his own mind. The God of Hyperdeath was merciless, attacking without hesitation. Every moment was his turn, and he refused to let the corruption move. They struggled, but it was doing little good.

Unlike Frisk, the corruption had no idea how to defeat the God, and besides, the method didn't exist in here, and even if it did, they wouldn't have figured it out anytime soon. How could someone like them be able to show kindness to souls they constantly slaughtered?

However, while they couldn't defeat the God of Hyperdeath, they knew they just had to wait. Flowey was at his limits after all. They could sense him getting weaker and weaker with each passing moment, and eventually, he'd have to give in. He couldn't last forever.

Asriel panted tiredly, and sent out another volley. "Having fun!?" he demanded, sending the strange attacks all over as he sensed the corruption getting loose.

The corruption hissed in irritation. They were surprised that Flowey had lasted this long, but it seemed that the soulless husk had another dose of confidence each time he fell back into another, stronger form, but, the corruption knew that the flower had run out. This was the last one, if they defeated it…well, they should be allowed to free themselves.

"Oh…going somewhere?" a voice asked. The corruption turned in surprise to see the true Chara, who was casually tossing their knife in their hand. "Sorry, but you have to go through me too…I was gonna bring a friend, but sadly, looks like it's just me."

The corruption inwardly smirked. They didn't mind. Time was the only issue. If they didn't defeat Flowey themselves, time would for them, so, without hesitation, they attacked Chara, which allowed the flower a slight reprieve as his god form fell down, breathing heavily. He couldn't last much longer…he was at his limits…and the corruption knew it.

It grabbed Chara, shaking them around like a rag doll, and then slammed them into the ground. Chara went limp for a few precious moments, but then leapt up, snagging the corruption before it could get at the other being. "Hey!" they shouted. "I'm over here," they snarled.

The Corruption swiped them away, but Chara continued to get in their path, until finally, they had enough. They grabbed Chara, and flung them into the black, before ramming into the God of Hyperdeath. He cried out, falling back, spider web like cracks spreading over his form, but he held on.

Not that he could do so for much longer. However, he wasn't going down without a fight…even if it was a more physical one. He swiped a hand up, backhanding them. They went flying, but came back quickly. His eyes narrowed, and he turned, using a wing to swipe them away again, before he slumped down fully.

He was out of energy…Chara was wiped out…and that broken Frisk didn't even react to the battle in the slightest. This seemed to be the end. The corruption formed in front of his face, their vapor like form giving a demonic smile as they reached toward him. He shut his eyes, knowing that he had finally lost.

Flowey gave a raspy groan as he opened his eyes, realizing he was being carried. He looked up tiredly to see that Frisk was carrying him…why…? Maybe it was to water again. It turned out they hadn't left their little island just yet, and so, Frisk had wandered slightly down the shore line. Not that Flowey really took notice of things like that anymore.

At this point, days were blurred, due to a lack of visual aid, and the fact that he slept most of the time. Flowey opened his mouth, desperately wishing to speak, but he was so weak now, that all he managed was a ragged rasp. Frisk assured him that he'd have a drink in a moment, but that wasn't what he needed.

 _Frisk…_ he tried to say it, but the words wouldn't past through his teeth, and remained in his head instead. The tone was one of fear, however. _Frisk…put me down…please…you have to…_ However, Frisk couldn't hear him, or understand the problem that was troubling him so.

Flowey felt worse than he had ever been before, and even when Frisk let him get his head into the water, he didn't feel relief like he used to. No, despite the cool water…he didn't get the sensation from it. In fact, he just continued to feel worse. It seemed that now, he couldn't even get some salvation from the cold abyss water.

Frisk gave another hum of concern as they slowly raised him up to their eye level. Water ran down his flower face as it hung low, and the water dripped off him, into the soil. They were saying something, but Flowey could no longer make out the words as he tried to keep what he was certain was bile down. However, it didn't make sense. He hadn't eaten in so long…

Flowey didn't know what he could do anymore. He had reached his limits, and he felt so horribly sick. He was searing hot…and freezing cold…and somehow he felt sick to his stomach. He opened his mouth, only to gag when he tried to speak.

Frisk stood, uncertain of what they could do as Flowey drooped, practically ready to wilt. _Frisk…_ he moaned in his mind. _Put me down…put me down…put…me…down…_ His eyes slid shut, and his thoughts went silent. Frisk began to move, heading for the group, wanting to voice their concern to someone.

The flower's petals shuddered, and he slowly raised his head back up, as if recovering from the incident. He drew his head back. _Frisk…put…down…now…_ He reached forward.

Frisk shrieked in pain as fangs pierced their hand. In shock, they dropped the flower. The pot shattered…and the flower hit the ground, his roots digging into the soil as Frisk fell back roughly, clutching their now bleeding hand where they had been bitten.

They stared in horror as the little flower sat there silently, as they heard the group jerk to attention, and come rushing to their aid. Slowly, the flower turned to them; fangs bared in a wicked smile, and then he looked up, slowly opening his eyes.

Eyes of crimson red.

Frisk gasped in horror as the flower rose; a loud rumbling filling the Abyss as everything began to shudder and quake out of control. The flower began to quiver, and then, he reared his head back, insane laughter filling the abyss, echoing all around the human as fear took over.


	36. Cat and Mouse

"Frisk!" The group rushed forward as the flower rose, baring fangs as bullets formed. Frisk scrambled back, holding a hand up in meager defense. The bullets flew forward and a pale blue bone intercepted. Frisk gasped, staring wide eyed as a black and white Papyrus knelt before them, struggling to hold it up. Somehow, he was holding his form outside of a vision.

The flower jerked back in surprise as Papyrus shakily stood with a smile, clutching a bone for a weapon as he stepped forward. "I'm afraid you'll have to get past The Great Papyrus another time before you can get at Frisk!" Papyrus seemed to have pieced together the situation fully. That wasn't Flowey in control.

It seemed the others had figured that out as well, for Undyne's soul shot forward, and she took form beside the skeleton, a spear forming, her one eye gleaming. It seemed that their death wounds would not appear. "Yeah, and I'd like another round with you, Punk!"

Asgore and Toriel's souls shot forward, with Asgore forming in a readied stance, clutching his red trident, while Toriel reluctantly summoned her fire magic, much to the flower's distaste. Alphys formed next, but stayed a bit behind the group, knowing that she'd fare better if she attacked from afar. There was a pause, and then Sans came forward, hands in his pockets, before he looked up without any light in his eyes.

 _ **"I'm warning you. If you make another move…"**_ He slowly tilted his head, his left eye beginning to glow blue.

 _ **"You're gonna have a bad time."**_

The flower hissed, looking ready to strike, but coming around the odd monsters were the group that had come down with Frisk, along with Gaster, all slipping into readied stances, unsure of what to expect. Gaster floated behind the group, looking ready to summon magic. Grillby's flames crackled, his sleeves drawn back to reveal the flames dancing wildly on his arms.

Strings appeared in the air, looking like live snakes ready to strike. With a day or so to fully recuperate, Muffet was quite able to aid in this confrontation. Gerson had reached back, his hand gripping something hiding in his shell as the old call of battle finally returned to him. Mettaton stepped forward, readying for the fight, while Napstablook hovered in the back, looking on in terror.

Dogamy gave a low growl, stepping forward as he clenched his battle axe. The flower backed down, not liking the numbers. With six monsters from each group, plus Gaster and Frisk…it was fourteen against one, and the flower didn't appreciate those odds. However, they smiled. "It's not me you should be worried about," the flower assured.

There was another rumble, and the ground shook. The group gasped, everyone trying to regain their footing, and the flower smirked, taking the chance to duck beneath the ground, going into hiding. Frisk yelped, falling on the ground again, before the rumbling finally decided to come to a stop.

Monsters swiftly regained their balance, the six recovered souls looking about frantically, knowing that this couldn't be the end, and then they branched out away from the group, Sans and Papyrus going the furthest away, neither looking back to see Gaster, who had actually placed himself far behind the other group to stay hidden from them.

The other group looked shakily at one another, as Dogamy stepped forward. "I…I thought souls can't have a form outside of a vision…"

There were warbling sounds from Gaster attempting to speak, which Mettaton remedied swiftly by using his built in cell phone. "I said that they're not supposed to," he repeated, but then looked around. "Something's wrong in here…"

"What would you mean by that?" Gerson asked worriedly, turning in a slow circle to make sure they weren't about to be snuck up on. He wasn't sure what that flower was planning, but he wasn't about to be taken by a surprise attack.

"The rumbling," Gaster murmured. "I don't think it was a coincidence that it happened right after the human took control."

"The human?" Dogamy asked.

The skeleton monster nodded. "The flower absorbed that one human's soul, but it seemed they were able to gain control over him."

"But are we saying that the flower caused all that rumbling?" Mettaton asked.

"Their roots can go deeper than you think," Gaster said, a look of worry coming to his face. "Now that they're connected to the soil in the Abyss…"

"They might be stronger than originally," Grillby added in concern.

"Won't they be trapped on the island then?" Muffet asked.

"Not necessarily…" Gaster replied.

"Well we have to do something," Napstablook stated. "If they're free, they're going to hurt others."

While the others spoke, Frisk took the Band-Aid they had, wincing as they put it over the bite wound. They would tend to it better after this was all over, right now, they didn't need the blood dripping down their fingers.

"They probably haven't gone too far yet," Gaster stated. "They'd have to adjust to the new form, after all, before they could just go freely about."

Dogamy nodded, before sniffing the air. "I think I might be able to track them a little—"

The rumbling came again, with Gerson grabbing Frisk so that they wouldn't fall. However, more sounds came this time, and those sounds seemed to actually have an owner. There were screeches and wails, thundering roars, and ghastly moans. Grillby stepped back. "…what was that…?" he asked in concern.

"Considering that our recovered souls can take form…" Gaster started. "I think…whatever keeps souls in their vision is no longer active."

"Is…that good or bad?" Napstablook asked.

There was another loud screech. "Completely depends on the individuals," Gaster explained.

"That's not reassuring," Gerson replied.

Napstablook paused. "Oh no…whatever they are, they're coming our way!"

Grillby looked up at them. "You can tell?"

"Ghost monsters can see magic—sometimes souls as well," Mettaton explained.

"What do we do!?" Dogamy demanded. "We can't handle two fronts—especially if we're about to be swarmed!"

"Get your recovered souls," Gaster explained. "If we can hold them off long enough to grab the flower, we might be able to fix this!"

Frisk knew they'd have to find the flower fast if that was the case. With that, they turned, and ran down the shore, with Dogamy racing ahead to get the attention of the recovered beings. The screeching became louder, causing all the monsters to jerk their heads up. "They'll be upon us if we don't move!" Gerson called.

"Looks like this fight is unavoidable," Grillby surmised, summoning his flames as he started to see things moving in the black.

The recovered souls became aware of the danger, and shifted their stances; most preparing for an attack, but Frisk ran past them, having a good idea where the flower might have gone. Just before they found the opening though, the source of the horrendous noises fell upon the shore. Frisk glanced back to see monstrous creatures of varying sizes and shapes attack.

Beast monsters…

It seemed that they were salvageable as souls, if they were allowed down here, but the problem was, most seemed to still share the same mental state as living beast monsters. They were insane, and territorial, attacking the others, but Frisk could trust them to handle themselves for at a little bit. If they just found the flower…

Frisk found the little crevice and squeezed their way in, narrowly avoiding getting struck by an oversized paw with ragged claws nearly snagging the hoodie. Frisk cried out as they squeezed through the narrow gap, falling forward, panting from the sudden exertion. They made it… Shakily, Frisk squeezed through the rest of the crevice, and entered the oddly lit chamber.

They breathed out, and then drew out their stick, clutching it in both hands. They looked around, taking unsteady steps. They were almost certain that the flower would have come in here to get adjusted. After all, only Frisk and Napstablook could get in.

Not seeing anything, Frisk began to slowly walk around the perimeter, constantly looking over their shoulder, peering under low plant life, just in case the flower was hiding amongst them. They checked behind rocks, and near the eight pillars, but nothing seemed to be showing up.

As they passed into the red lighted section, they froze as laughter greeted their ears. "My, my…looking for me?" Their heart pounded. That wasn't Flowey.

It was behind them.

They didn't want to look.

Frisk took several deep breaths, and then whipped around, clutching their stick tight, though their arms quivered; then, they froze, staring in shock and horror. Standing a few feet away, was the corruption in a similar form as Chara had been in within the gardens. However, that was where the similarities ended.

Coiled around their body, like a strange armor, were thorny vines. Frisk could only see their red aura through tiny gaps all around, and the only clear area was around where the eyes were. However, Frisk could see the armor move slightly so that a smile could appear. Dangling lifelessly on the corruption's shoulder was the flower.

"Looking for another run around?" the corruption asked, laughing softly. "Do you really think that measly stick will do anything?" They laughed, having absolutely lost it. "How ridiculous—have you any idea what you're now up against!?"

Without warning, a thin vine launched out of the ground. Frisk gasped, and used their stick to deflect it, getting knocked back in the process. The child yelped, sliding across the ground, before looking back over their shoulder as they leapt to their feet. The Corruption smirked, and sent another vine at them. Frisk jumped to the side, and tumbled out of sight behind a rock.

They panted, leaning against it, clutching their measly stick, heart pounding as they thought rapidly. Their panicked thoughts didn't offer a strategy—Frisk wasn't sure what to do, and then some chilling facts resurfaced. There hadn't been a single save point down here—if they died—and somehow still had the ability to reset with all things considered—they'd most likely go all the way back to before they went down into the Abyss.

All that progress, all that work lost—if they didn't end up with a permanent death. Frisk couldn't let that happen! "Oh," a voice purred as a shadow fell over Frisk. They slowly looked up to see the vine covered ghost. "That's where you were hiding!"

Frisk screamed as a thorn came out of the ground, spearing them through their upper chest. The thorn retreated back, and the child rolled away, managing to get to their feet, limping off as they clutched the wound. They dove around another rock, reaching into their inventory, grateful for the food they had brought along, saving them from certain death.

The wound mostly healed, but it wasn't perfect. Frisk then continued running. They couldn't take that head on—how did they even hurt them!? They were a ghost with a physical armor—it wasn't like with Mettaton where the ghost was fused fully, and the only solution that came was to have magic attacks.

However, Frisk didn't have magic, and therefore, would have to find ways to improvise their way through this battle if they wanted to defeat the corruption and somehow get Flowey back. They ducked behind a tree, clutching the measly stick as their mind raced. Wasn't there some possible way to Mercy someone like that? Frisk was not a killer…barely a fighter, only twice before drawing a weapon, though like now, it was purely in self-defense.

They heard the laughter of the corruption. "Now, now, where are you hiding? Do you really think playing a game of Cat and Mouse with me will change a single thing?" They gave a dark chortle. "My, you really are an idiot."

Frisk hissed through clenched teeth. There had to be something—how could they indirectly hurt the corruption? If they just had some magic to use—wait. Frisk looked around at the seven lit pillars. Seven pillars…each a different color…of magic? Frisk covered their mouth as it clicked. Maybe those pillars of light were made purely of…if that's the case, maybe they could—

They didn't get to finish that thought as a vine barely missed their shoulder, going over it. Frisk cried out and ducked away, jumping over some small rocks, and then clambering up a larger one before whipping around to face the other being.

"My, my, your Sans taught you well, didn't he?" they purred as they stepped forward, the flower unresponsive on their shoulder. "But, I should let you know…that's twice now…that he couldn't dodge forever!"

More vines sprung up from the ground, and Frisk jumped to another rock, trying to stay off the true surface of the chamber so that they wouldn't get another thorn pierced through them. They jumped, swinging their stick, managing to knock some of the vines away, but each one seemed thicker than the last, and coming faster and faster. It was hard to keep track of that, and where they needed to jump next.

They landed on another rock, crouching low, and then sprung off again, only to gag as a vine came around their throat. Frisk was slammed into the ground, their stick splintering into tiny pieces upon impact, but their hand still held a small piece. Then, the vine jerked them back up. Frisk gasped, trying desperately to breathe, clawing at the vine, ignoring that they were cutting up their hands in the attempt.

"There you are," the corruption murmured, walking calmly over as the vine jerked them close so that they were nearly at eye-level, though Frisk wasn't looking at them as they kicked the air, trying to claw at the thorny vine and free themselves. "Do you really think you can stop me now? Have you any idea what kind of power this flower can obtain down here!?" They laughed, the vine slamming Frisk down, releasing their throat for a few precious moments.

Though Frisk couldn't do anything but gasp for breath like a fish out of water. "The soil here—it's not like anything your little prince has ever had before! The amount of power—once I'm a bit more stabilized, I'll make anything this flower has ever done look like a game."

Frisk gulped, coughing again. Something worse than…what Flowey's ever done? That thought was terrifying. As they tried to get back up, the vine came around them again, jerking them into the air. "But the question is what do I do with you? Heh, if I just… _squeeze_ this vine a little tighter…" Frisk squeaked, struggling to free themselves.

"You'll die, and that'll be that, but…you've caused me quite some trouble, and I think…" They pulled Frisk so close, that the thorns on their head brushed Frisk's hair. "I'll make you suffer a while longer. I'll beat you to an inch of your life—then I'll slaughter those outside—after that!" They smiled. "Maybe I'll be merciful enough to end your pathetic life."

Though, the corruption would likely just abandon Frisk to the shambles of it all, and let them live in misery, until death claimed them in some other way. With that, the corruption tossed Frisk, sending them flying. Frisk screamed, crashing through a tree, the branches cutting at them, before they fell out of it, landing on a rock, and tumbling onto the ground, only to get pierced by a thorn as they landed.

It was agony, but the moment Frisk was freed, they grabbed for their health items, but every time they healed, the corruption sent them on another round of pain, and their items never fully restored them as the fight went on, until Frisk found—to their horror—that they were out of healing items in their immediate inventory. They had to access a dimensional box—but not like this!

They made a break for the crevice, but they screamed as a vine struck through them. The vine jerked back out, and they fell on hands and knees, but that didn't stop them from crawling forward frantically. No! They couldn't die here! They scrambled, a thorn piercing them. They were almost there, they couldn't stop now!

As the thorn retreated, Frisk limped frantically for the exit. "Running away are you!?" the corruption asked, laughing. "How brave of you."

Frisk gasped as two vines sprung up by the crevice. Gambling everything, they ran head long toward it. The vines rose, preparing to strike. Frisk jumped, and the vines went to grab them, however…Frisk still had a shard of their stick, and flung it, the oversized shard piercing a vine, causing it to recoil, and for the other to miss Frisk.

The child hit the ground, and tumbled into the crevice. They panted heavily, and began dragging themselves through it, while trying to grab their cell phone. However, the chaos on the other side had been wild while Frisk had been in there.


	37. Unwilling to Succumb

On the shore, Toriel jumped up, eyes narrowing as she sent down a fire attack on a beast monster. It was irritating that her flames wouldn't light up the area, so she had to be careful of where the wall was so that she didn't get wedged into a corner by the beast. It had just happened so fast…all the sudden they were just swarmed by beast monsters that had been freed from their visions.

She blasted it in what she assumed was its face, and then dove to the side as it plowed forward, ramming into the unseen wall within the black abyss. She rose fully, her fingers twitching as a fireball appeared over her palm, the flames licking at her. She looked over her shoulder, waiting, with an ear listening to the rest of the chaos. Almost everyone was locked in combat at this point.

It moved—just a twitch—but she didn't let it stay like that. She raised both arms with a shout, summoning a much larger attack, and then blasted it. "Stay down!" she shouted, enraged at the creature for attacking them. She knew it was a poor soul, but it was dangerous in its mindless state, and had to be put down. There was no other way, and this was the only mercy she could give it.

It was durable however, slowly getting back up, despite her frantic attacks. It staggered, and charged at her. Toriel risked it, diving under its feet, rolling, and blasting its stomach, knowing that tended to be a weak point. It shrieked, the flames launching it slightly into the air, allowing Toriel to scramble up and away from it.

She whipped around to face it, breathing heavily, the flames surrounding her hands. This was just one enemy…out of goodness knows how many that were down here. She gave a low growl of warning as she watched it start to get back up, even though the scorch marks on its body were rather obvious.

Toriel's face darkened and she moved over to it, the flames growing larger and larger, and the rest of the chaos suddenly sounding far away as she focused solely on the one creature. Once, it had been a monster like her, alive and well, but dark and negative emotions slowly ate away at them, turning them into this monstrosity…and then they died like that.

She wasn't quite sure what would happen if she somehow 'killed' it here, but it had to be better than suffering as a mindless beast for the rest of eternity. "Forgive me, lost one." She raised her hands, and then sent down a large amount of flames. It screeched and cried, wailing loudly, but she shut her eyes, trying to deafen herself to the sounds.

The flames ate at it as it rolled about in agony, but soon enough, it would all end. The physical and mental suffering would draw to a close in just a few more moments, then, perhaps, this soul could find silence and peace in whatever came next after that.

There was the sound of breaking glass.

Toriel's eyes opened in surprise, and she looked at the beast that had spider web cracks spreading over its form, like a cracked window.

Then, the cracking stopped. However, she took a shaky step back, unsure of what to expect. Without warning, the creature shattered into tiny shards, the sound like someone slamming something through a window. The shards fell, glistening, but crumbled away into nonexistence before they even touched the ground. Toriel panted, wide eyed, before slowly turning to survey the battlefield she had ended up in…it was far from over.

Elsewhere on the shore, Gaster raised a Gaster Blaster into the air, taking out a small beast monster. However, while he didn't have to worry about size, he did have to worry about sheer numbers as the small beast seemed to have come with a large pack. Thankfully, Gaster could hover out of reach of them, and so he attacked them from above.

Like him though, his Gaster Blasters seemed distorted, melting in some places, like an Amalgamate almost. Parts of their upper jaw melted into their lower one, and one of their eyes wouldn't fully open, and cracks were upon their skulls. They blasted forth, their aim never fully true, but not by such a margin that they were dangerous to others.

Thankfully, they had a wide hit range, so Gaster just tried to aim for the center of the pack, knowing he'd at least hit a few of them. He felt exhausted though, he wasn't meant to be doing this anymore. After the accident…it was hard to just keep from distorting more than he already had, this…this was beyond taxing.

However, there were souls to protect, so he held on, blasting the beasts as they neared him, and sometimes, he sent different colored bones flying out to hit other beasts that were fighting the others.

It was hard…his energy was depleting faster than ever now. He slowly lost his altitude, and ending up hitting the ground on hands and knees, his body quivering, but he kept his Gaster Blaster up, incinerating beasts foolish enough to run toward him.

 _Apologies…_ Gaster murmured. _But we didn't come this far to let it all go to waste, now did we?_

The beasts lunged for him, his Gaster Blaster handling most of them, but one plowed into him, sending him onto his back. He reached forward, and they bit his hand, though because of the gaping hole in his palm, it didn't hurt as much as it should have when some of the teeth ending up getting nothing.

Gaster hissed in pain, but he wasn't down for the count just yet. He reached out with his other hand, and the creature jerked, bones of varying colors piercing though its body, sticking out of its back. Cracks started to spread across it, and then, it too, shattered into nothing. Gaster raised both arms in front of himself on instinct, but the shards vanished before they could cut into him.

Shakily, he rolled onto hands and knees, his Gaster Blaster taking the initiative, attacking beast monsters, and keeping them at bay while Gaster tried to recover. He breathed heavily, his form distorting horribly. It was so hard to keep a hold on his true shape as he started to melt once more. Gaster shut his eyes, focusing. If he melted, he wouldn't be able to help at all! He had to trust the Gaster Blaster to handle itself for a little while.

He closed his eyes, breathing slowly, focusing on his form as he did so. With each breath, the melting slowed…stopped…and then started to reverse. He had to hold onto this form a little longer, though, considering the commotion that was caused; he was sure someone capable of handling these beasts would arrive soon enough. They just had to hold out until they either grabbed the flower and defeat the beasts or miraculous back up arrived.

A beast got past his Gaster Blaster, and came charging at the recovering skeleton monster. Gaster breathed out, and then looked up, his left eye blazing blue as he launched a pale bone at it. Then he stood, turning slightly, his right eye dimly glowing orange. He wasn't down just yet.

Elsewhere in the chaos, there was a loud shout, and Papyrus was sent flying out of the fray, however, he was quick, and flipped himself upright, sliding back as he summoned his weapon back to him. Twin beast monsters turned with low growls, and moved toward him, fangs somehow gleaming in the dark.

Papyrus slowly stepped back. As innocent minded as he was, he was well aware of what a beast monster was…and what had to be done to them. Things like this were told to monsters at a young age so that they would know to run away if they ever encountered one, and to get help.

Yes, Papyrus knew that, but, if they were already dead then…maybe he could manage something else. He didn't want to hurt them if he didn't have to—though these two were making it increasingly difficult. He glanced around, but to his light frustration, he couldn't see his surroundings, and was therefore unable to utilize them.

One of them snarled, and lunged at him, very cat like in its nature. Papyrus jumped to the side, and as it leapt at him, Papyrus grabbed at it, and shoved it away, and then swung his arm, clocking the other one on the head.

The other got back up, but Papyrus dodged it by jumping over the second one as it recovered from the self-defense the skeleton monster was utilizing. Papyrus moved back, and felt water sloshing up against his boots. He smiled, realizing what he had, and remembering when he covered that puzzle, he lowered his weapon down. They came at him, and he swiped forth, sending the black water into the air, hitting them both.

Using the distraction, Papyrus rushed forward, and leapt, a free hand using one of their heads to propel him. He landed behind them, whipped around, and formed a bone wall that they crashed into before he ran in a wild circle. Each bone a different color than the one next to it to enforce a barrier as he swiftly caged the temporarily blinded creatures.

When they realized what he had done, they tried to jump out, but he was one step ahead as he created a roof to the cage of bones so that they ended up ramming their heads against it and falling back down. "Foiled by the Great Papyrus!" he exclaimed, pointing his weapon at them, slightly tired by the ordeal.

The feline beast monsters hissed angrily, clawing at the bars, even biting into them, but the different colored bones proved to be difficult to break through, and at the very least, would take some time to reclaim their freedom. Papyrus breathed out softly in relief, knowing they were taken care of for the time being.

He turned, looking around at all the chaos around him. This wasn't the type of fighting he was used to…this was a battle, like Undyne had described to him so many times…something that a Royal Guard could end up in one day. He understood some of what Undyne meant. It wasn't fun, it wasn't glorious, or an adventure…it was horrible.

However, Papyrus hadn't sought glory from being a Royal Guard—true, he sought recognition, but he didn't join simply for that. He didn't expect battles to be…'fun'…he knew a little better than that. He joined, because he was the Great Papyrus…and therefore, it was his duty to help protect the monster kingdom.

It wasn't going to be pleasant…it wasn't going to be glorious…his orange eye began to glow, and he ran back into the chaos. He didn't care about any of that anyways; he just wanted the safety of his friends.

While he rushed off, someone wasn't having as much progress in the fight. Alphys gasped, crawling up and unseen boulder that thankfully gave her a decent vantage point. For the most part, Alphys used her far ranged magic to take shots at beast monsters that were troubling the others. However, once in a while, she would send blasts of lightning like energy down on a beast that would dare climb the boulder she was perched upon.

However, she was no fighter, not like the others. Unlike Papyrus, she never really honed her fighting skills, so her healing abilities were far stronger than her attacks. She already felt herself tiring, but…everyone else was trying so hard…what was she, if she couldn't hold out longer than this?

Shakily, she continued, though she rested on hands and knees, breathing heavily. She was a scientist—somewhat of a doctor—she was not meant for battle—then again, quite a few monsters here weren't. She had to think—improvise—what could she do!?

She didn't have her inventions, her machines…all she had was herself… She paused, and then reached into her pocket. Right. Well, it was worth a shot wasn't—Alphys scrambled back as a flying beast monster nearly grabbed her in its talons.

Alphys gasped, watching it as it came at her again. Instantly, Alphys turned, jumping, managing to scramble up the wall that had been behind her. She wasn't much of a climber, but currently, she had a decent motivation to scramble up as high as she could.

The creature came after her though, and Alphys risked hanging on with one hand, sending magic bullets at it, hitting square in the head. At least her aim was true—as each shot managed to hit it right between its eyes. It let out a pain filled screech, falling back, but it managed to save itself, and come back up at her.

Alphys screech in alarm, and sent her energy attack at it. The creature jerked, the energy dancing over it, before it fell, and this time, it hit the ground, much to Alphys's relief. However, her relief vanished a moment later when it began to move. "No! Stay dead please!" Alphys cried out. She couldn't keep fighting it! She was running out of magic—how else—she paused. There was one other way to deal with this one. Alphys gulped, and waited.

The creature got back up, and then took flight, racing for her. Alphys moved slightly, curling her tail up as she waited. It came close…and then she tail whipped it, smacking its face. As it steered off course, Alphys lunged with a scream, landing on its back, latching her arms around its neck. Then, she raised her hand, energy dancing along her fingers, before she slammed down on its scrawny neck.

It screamed, flailing and jerking as it tried to escape, but with the cause latched onto its back, freedom wasn't an option. Alphys kept at it, eyes shut as she refused to relent. Then, she heard the cracks. She nervously opened her eyes to see them spreading along the flying beast. Then, it shattered, and Alphys found that there was now nothing but air between her and the ground.

Alphys screamed as she fell, limbs flailing in the vain attempt of grabbing hold of something. She fell, fell, and fell…

And a pair of strong arms caught her.

She looked up to see a stunned Asgore who instantly tossed her up on his shoulders, taking his trident back into view as a beast monster came at them. This one looked like some horrid mash up of a crab, a lobster, and a scorpion. "Good gods…" Asgore murmured warily as he slowly stepped back, trying to see just what he was up against.

Instantly, it lunged, and Asgore jumped back, swiping at a claw with his trident to avoid being hit by it. He lowered his head just slightly with a snort of warning. This wasn't like when he fought the humans. This was nothing but a pure threat without redemption, and he shall end its misery.

There was an odd rattling sound, and Asgore looked up to notice that the tail was moving just slightly as it prepared to lunge forward with its deadly stinger. Asgore lunged to the side just as it struck, and ran along the side of the creature. As it started to scuttle around, Asgore lunged with a mighty roar, his trident piercing the base of one of its many legs.

The creature screeched in agony, but Asgore didn't stop. Once the weapon dug deep, he pulled back in another direction. No one needed to see, to know what came next. There was a horrible sound, and the creature's wailing somehow became louder. When Asgore turned to it, it was moving wildly, trying to balance itself now that it was missing a leg.

Asgore gripped his bloodied trident—though it was hard to tell, due to the red color it held. He breathed slowly, steadying himself. He had already been fighting a few beast monsters, and while he could take quite a bit of damage—especially when he was unwilling to succumb—this battle was still taxing on the king.

However, he was willing to fight every step of the way if it could get everyone back to the surface…back to a world where one might see the sun—but at this rate—he'd be happy to see anything other than the color black that threatened to swallow them all.

The creature moved awkwardly, trying to catch Asgore in a claw, but the King swiftly side-stepped, before jumping, landing so that he was facing it head on again. It lunged; its claw swinging out once more, but this time, Asgore thrust his trident forward, imbedding it into the inside of the claw, forcing it to stay open.

It screeched, as the trident became lodged, refusing to release, even when the king pulled back on it. The creature swung its other claw, but Asgore jumped, landing on the limb, before leaping onto its back. It screeched, trying to see him, and then went to hit him with its stinger. He dodged it once…twice…

The tail came down again.

The tail didn't draw back to strike a fourth time.

For Asgore had grabbed it at the base of the stringer, wresting with it, using brute strength to his advantage. He struggled with it, groaning, his toes grasping at ridges on the creature's back to avoid sliding. Then, he finally got enough force to slam the stinger down, lodging it into the creature itself.

It shrieked and wailed, and the king slid down, ducking under it due to its missing leg, and with a low snort, he rammed his head up, his horns lodging into the beast's underbelly. It started to crack, then, it too, became nothing but shattered glass.

Asgore panted, before moving over, and picking up his trident. Then, he turned slowly, looking for whatever poor beast would challenge him next. He may have fallen once, but, he wasn't about to do it again anytime soon.

The chaos continued, and elsewhere, someone was victorious. Sans stared silently, his blue eye blazing, his pupils otherwise missing as a beast monster fell to the ground, and shattered.

The small skeleton turned slightly, glaring harshly at everything around him. "So, is this really how you're gonna play your cards? Heh…" The blazing blue vanished.

 _ **"Good…It gives me no reason to spare someone like you."**_

Sans paused, hearing a loud hissing. He turned, instantly on guard. The small skeleton wasn't surprised when he had to look up at a massive, snake like beast. Monsters that were lost to beast forms were never consistent in how they looked, typically taking attributes from the monster they had been.

Some were still more humanoid than feral as well, but this one…this took the cake. The closest they had to snake monsters, were reptilian monsters with snake attributes, or slime monsters, but that was still another category all together. So this one…had to have really lost it to go so far from what it used to be.

Sans didn't know what level of grief could have caused this…what devastation in one's life could leave them so warped from what they had been…he didn't know…and if it wasn't about to try and kill him, he would have cared a little, however, this beast was like all the others. They were trying to kill his family and friends, and Sans wasn't about to let that happen.

The snake lunged with a ferocious hiss, and Sans leapt casually to the side, watching it go past him. He turned, and raised a Gaster Blaster, striking it squarely. It screeched, writhing around, and then reared up, lunging at him again. Sans jumped, only to gasp in surprise as the snake's tail wrapped around him. Sans kicked, remembering being in a similar situation—if just faintly.

At least this time, there weren't thorns piercing into him, or jolts of electricity, that allowed him to think more clearly as it tried to crush him. At least he didn't have lungs, or this would have been a real hassle.

 _ **"Sorry, Bud…"**_ He looked up as several Gaster Blasters warped into existence.

 _ **"You're about to get dunked on."**_

With that, the Gaster Blasters came forth once more, the creature screeched, sliding back, but refused to relinquish Sans's freedom. Bones were summoned, and the snake went right into them with a loud, hissing shriek.

Sans tucked in as much as he could as he started to release more of his magic at once. Blue energy started to swirl around his body, and then with a shout, it blasted out, cutting into the snake's body, separating the tail from the rest of it. The moment Sans was free, he dropped down, ignoring the blood on his hoodie as he sent a bone flying into the snake's chest. It jerked, writhing about in pain.

It lunged down at him as a Gaster Blaster flew in the way, facing it head on. The snake bit down on the creature's skull. The skeleton seemed to just keep smiling though, the expression eerie on his shadowed face and empty eyes. The Gaster Blaster quivered, struggling to open its maw, and slowly it managed to open it enough. A glow appeared, and then, it blasted forth while still trapped in its jaw.

Then, it went still as cracks ran along it, and then, like all the other beast monsters down in the black, it shattered. Sans sighed in relief, and turned, only to groan as he saw more. How many could there possibly be!? Then again, as he thought about it…there could be an infinite amount of beast monsters in a place like this, but if that's the case…would they ever see the end of the swarm?

It was around that time that Frisk had crawled back to their side of the crevice, still battered and wounded. They crawled to the edge, only to stare wide eyed. They panted heavily, looking at the insanity that had continued while they had been fighting the corruption. How could there be so many souls like this…?

"Human!" Frisk jerked up to see Papyrus. "Oh gods, you're hurt!" He swiftly scooped them out of the crevice, slipping a glove off before lightly touching their chest, closer to their collar bone where a long gash was. Instantly, orange magic began to seep through into the bleeding cut. However, Frisk was still covered in a lot of other wounds, but Papyrus didn't get time to tend to them as beast monsters circled in on him.

Realizing the issue, Papyrus jumped up. "SANS!" he exclaimed, tossing Frisk into the air. His brother turned, quickly realizing what was going on, and snagged Frisk with his levitation ability, drawing them over to where he was.

Sans jumped away from an attack as he brought a hand to their arm. "Sorry, kid, not a healer," he murmured, his blue magic seeping into a line of red on their elbow and a bit of their fore arm. He hopped from one direction to another, and then looked up. "TORI! KID INBOUND!"

She gasped as Sans stepped forward, vanished, and then appeared nearly on top of her, falling while putting the child in her arms. It seemed that ability was completely unpredictable in this place. Sans vanished, and then appeared again in the midst of the chaos, going all out. She looked down at Frisk worriedly. "Oh, my poor child." She brushed their face, red magic flowing into the wound on their cheek as Asgore came to her side to defend her.

She finished healing the wound, and with a gasp, basically shoved them into Asgore's hold as she summoned flames to blast a beast monster away. As he shoved at another beast, Alphys leaned over his shoulder, healing a wound on their neck, her magic leaving it glowing yellow. Then, she started shooting beast monsters, allowing Asgore to heal another wound on their head, the red glow seeping into it.

"ASGORE!" The king looked up to see Undyne waving frantically as Muffet fought behind her. "Toss me the kid! You're gonna get swarmed!" Without delay, Frisk found themselves in the air again, but Undyne caught them. "Got ya, punk—and oh, you look horrible." She placed a hand on their shoulder, healing a gash with green magic.

Undyne's back was to the water, so she didn't see it. Not until a tentacle wrapped around her. Undyne cried out as she was yanked back. Muffet screamed, and on instinct, grabbed Frisk, snatching the child back as Undyne was dragged into the water. Muffet scurried away, panicking. "Where is it safe, where is it safe, where is it safe!?" she shrieked, her magic healing a wound on Frisk's wrist.

Frisk pointed back toward the crevice, and Muffet caught a glimpse of it in the mess. She shot out a web, letting it latch onto the wall, and had it work almost like a grappling hook, sending them in the air, and somehow, she landed neatly by the crevice. "Stay safe," she managed, not realizing there was danger that Frisk planned to face again on a rematch.

Frisk squeezed back in, pausing when they felt a hand touch them. They glanced to see a skeleton hand. Gaster. Aqua magic seeped into the wound on their palm, and then he vanished. Frisk sighed, and drew something out of their inventory. The locket. They slipped it over their neck, and then nervously pulled out something else. The dagger.

After that, Frisk refilled their inventory with healing items, and then looked down at themselves, finding that they were covered in glowing wounds from their friends' healing magic. Frisk smiled slightly. Knowing that they had so many friends' magic flowing through them…

It filled them with Determination.

And with that, they opened crimson red eyes.


	38. Red Eyed Gaze

Undyne would have been in a lot more trouble had she not been a fish monster. Her gills opened up, allowing her to breathe beneath the surface. Thankfully; because she had been holding Frisk before she had been grabbed, her arms had actually not been trapped. Undyne smiled wildly at the fact, and then summoned a spear, instantly slicing into the tentacle.

The limb was severed, and Undyne managed to free herself. She floated in the black, the glow of her spear being the only light source. Thankfully, it could illuminate the beast that had attacked her…if it would come close enough. Her spears weren't meant to light up an area, to be honest, but it was better than nothing.

She turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. She knew it was here. There was no way it was going to just leave her after she had done that. Sure enough, she saw something move in the black waters. However, she simply closed her eye, and waited…her ear fins wiggling a little, listening.

It came, and without hesitation, she lunged, driving her spear into another tentacle. The limb began to whip about, sending her this way and that, but even when she was forced free of it, she simply tumbled through the water unharmed, swiftly summoning a volley of spears. _All right, ya punk, come out here and fight._

The tentacles came flying at her, but she instantly batted them away with the spear she held. _Come on, show your ugly mug so that I can improve it with my spears!_

It, much to her frustration, decided to remain elusive. Undyne gave an irritated huff. _Fine…we'll do it the hard way, but you're going to regret it._ Taking note of where she had seen the tentacles come from, she slowly started swimming it that direction, her other spears spinning slowly, waiting for her to set them free. _Show yourself already, you coward…_ she muttered.

Undyne paused, sensing that something was wrong, not seeing the form that was starting to be illuminated behind her. She turned at the last second, a surprised reaction showing on her face as she was greeted by fangs as it rushed forward, and then closed its mouth. Everything was dark, pitch black now, beneath the waters.

A spear suddenly appeared in its head. Then another, then a whole volley. Spider web cracks swiftly spread across it, and then, the beast shattered, with Undyne breathing heavily. _That's what you get!_ That thing tried to eat her! Undyne shook her head, ignoring that it had happened.

The good news was that it was gone; she just needed a moment to catch her breath. She hadn't planned on being eaten. She gave an involuntary shudder, and then breathed out, watching the air bubbles to figure out which way was actually up, as it was impossible to tell down in the Abyss waters.

Once she figured it out, she started swimming swiftly. The battle was still going on up there! She had to get back and help! Though, what confused Undyne was that, when she thought about it…why were the waters suddenly so deep? She may have only been in soul form, but she knew for a fact that the water was usually only a few inches!

Something was wrong now that the human had connected themselves with the soil of this place. It was like they were breaking all the rules…all of reality. That, however, just made her more determined to get back up there, and into the fray.

Back on dry land, Frisk had poked their head back into the chamber, looking warily around. No vines…no voice…no corruption. They took a shaky breath, their hands trembling as they held the weapon, their red eyes darting this way and that. They didn't want to use it…but…it seemed they had no choice. One way or another, they had to stop this madness.

They slowly walked around, until they felt uneased. They whipped around, giving a squeak of alarm when they ended up face to face with their enemy. The corruption laughed softly. "Really? You escape just to come back for another round?" Their gaze landed on the necklace. "Huh…was wondering if that would be here…" Then, they glanced to Frisk's trembling hand, and smirked. "Please, we both know you're not cut out for this," they purred.

Frisk swallowed hard, but refused to back down. They had to…somehow… "You're a mess," they murmured. "Clothing's all torn—even that precious hoodie that you wear…and look at you, covered in healing magic to the point that you look like you're covered in glowing war paint."

"However, you're going to learn that you're the least of my worries. Because, while you were gone, I found something I think you'll recognize." They laughed, and then vanished into the ground. Frisk gave a strangled gasp, jumping onto a rock, whipping around left and right as they tried to spot where the corruption had gone.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling, and the whole place became masked with a sickening red light. Frisk went completely still. No…there was no way they could have…they slowly looked up to see a black shadow moving down, and they swore they felt their heart leap into their throat.

The red light dimmed, and the familiar form was revealed. The DT extraction machine, complete with Flowey's adjustments, but…it wasn't his face on the screen. Instead, they saw the red aura human on a black screen. They laughed manically smirking down at the tiny child. The screen went black, except for red eyes, a red smile…and the rosy cheeks that Frisk learned to associate with them.

"I told you I had more power than Flowey ever knew! The soil here lets me do so much! Granted, getting back up into the Monster Kingdom was a chore, but once you deal with the climb…" They let a vine rise to signal how they got around it.

"And this…" Their face vanished, to reveal Flowey's horrified expression, but the static came over it, before revealing Asriel, his hands pressed against the screen, tears flowing freely. "There's our little prince…" Frisk stared in shock, and then trembled, taking a shaky step forward. "What are you going to do?" they mocked. "What's the sweet little quiet Frisk going to do?"

They looked up, trembling, tears flowing freely, before they jerked their head back, crying out. "ASRIEL!" Frisk cried, the name echoing over the chamber.

"Hmm…?" The static changed to reveal the human again. "You actually spoke?" they asked in amusement. "My, my, aren't you agitated? It's too bad you're helpless in all of this."

Frisk meekly managed to say that it wouldn't function fully without more human souls.

"Oh? Really?" they purred. "Do you know how this prince broke the barrier?" Frisk stiffened. "Right. He used all the souls of the monster kingdom to total up to one human soul. Now tell me…" They laughed darkly. "How many monster souls do you think are down here with us right now?"

Their laughing grew at the look of horror on Frisk's face. "That's right! More than we could count! Now you see…there's plenty of souls attacking your friends…I'll leave those be…but there are more to absorb!" There was a loud rumbling, and Frisk had to fight to keep their balance.

"But you know—let's see if we can power it on monster souls alone! I have no need for this one!"

A red soul suddenly appeared, and a ghostly human—the true Chara—fell roughly to the ground, not expecting it. They got up, looking about in a panic.

"And this one has long since served their purpose!" A broken soul was tossed out, instantly falling. Chara lunged, diving for it, hitting the ground roughly, but managing to grab the broken heart at the last moment.

Frisk rushed to them as monster souls started flying into the area, forced into the machine to power it, but Frisk could do nothing to stop it. They reached for Chara, asking if they were all right. The ghost nodded, and Frisk pointed to the crevice, instructing them to go. Chara started to protest, but Frisk slammed their foot down, firm about it, their red eyes glaring into Chara's.

Reluctantly, the ghost consented, and ran off, clutching the broken soul to their chest as they did so.

Frisk watched them, and then slowly turned, swallowing. The only reason they defeated Flowey was because they were able to reach out to the human souls. There had been six…Frisk had no idea how many monster souls would be in that machine once finished. Then, the rumbling stopped, and the corruption smirked down at Frisk.

"Let me show you what I can do."

Frisk screamed as chaos erupted everywhere. It was like Flowey's battle, except, everything had been turned up a notch, and Frisk didn't have a clear area to dodge away from the insane attacks. Frisk ran, jumping, diving behind a pillar, but they knew that wasn't going to keep them safe.

They gripped the knife, biting their lip. What to do—what to do—what to do!? How did they stop something like that!? Did they truly have to go one soul at a time—would they even be able to!? This was completely different now!

Frisk ran again as more attacks came at them, but there was no hope to continuously dodge, and sure enough, they got hit. Frisk screamed as flames licked at their health, flies bit them, and bullets pelted them, but they managed to get behind a tree, quickly using their health items. That was the one good thing about the area having clutter around it. It gave them a moment to heal.

They screamed as the tree was blasted, sent into splinters, and forcing them to go on the run again. They raced, but things repeated themselves, until they no longer had any healing item to use. Then, the laser hit them square on, as did a vine that pierced through their chest. Frisk gave a ragged gasp as it tore free, and they fell to the floor. Barely any health left…

They reached for their cell phone that had skittered away, nearly out of reach. They still had some items left, if they just—a bullet flew, hitting the cell phone, and rendered it completely useless. "I think not," the corruption murmured in light amusement. "I've about had it with you and your healing items. This…"

"This ends now."

Frisk shuddered, trying to lift their head, but found themselves unable to. Instead, they tiredly shifted their red eyed gaze. The only reason they weren't dead was because of the healing magic still in them, having taken the damage that would have hit. However, they felt it, literally on a sliver of a health, and Frisk could no longer move.

The corruption chortled, the sound echoing all around. "Time to end this, and move on to the next." Frisk blinked, and then looked up. If they were going to die, well, they wouldn't flinch, they'd be brave in their last moments, just like…

They never finished that thought, for the attacks blasted forth. Something else struck the ground between Frisk and the corruption. It was a beam of light, the center white, but seven familiar colors danced along its edges. It evaporated the corruption's attacks, leaving a white mist to blanket the chamber. "ENOUGH!" a deep, thunderous voice boomed.

Up above them, was the dragon. He peered down, and Frisk realized that there was no high ceiling at all, and that it actually did open up to the rest of the Abyss. The dragon snarled angrily, white eyes blazing like a wildfire, before somehow coming down into the chamber. Frisk swore he looked smaller than before, but with the way their vision was swimming, they couldn't say for certain. He looked big compared to the Omega form, at the very least.

The dragon glared, eyes narrowing. "I knew there was something wrong with you," he snarled. "I thought it was just because it was a flower brought to life, but no…it wasn't the flower that was leaving me agitated. It was you. I don't know how you got into my world, but the likes of you do not belong here. A warped existence that needs to be put out of its misery."

The corruption almost seemed to smile pleasantly. "If you want to put an end to me…then go right ahead," they replied. "Give it your best shot," they told him.

The dragon gave an irritated snort, raising his white lanterns that he held in the coils of his two tail tips. "I will make you regret ever setting foot in my domain."

He opened his maw, another beam shooting forth. The Omega form fled, diving away at the last moment, before the serpent lunged up at the machine. Despite a lack of limbs, the dragon was still a force to behold. He coiled around what he could, sinking fangs into coils, but the corruption wasn't something of his, and it didn't obey all the rules of his realm…and so, in a sense, it wasn't the fight it should have been.

The two went at it, attacking one another, the dragon seeming to only have the one magic attack, and his physical attacks just as limited. Then again, perhaps this was the first time someone like him ever had to fight, and while the Omega form was small compared to him, it was of decent size and strength compared to many other things in the world, plus, it was powered by countless souls of magic.

The dragon gave a shout as red claw like thorns raked into him, cutting deep. He writhed about, and bl—no, it wasn't blood that poured from the wound. It looked like…red dust? Sand? It wasn't easy to tell.

However, the dragon wasn't going down that easily, and lunged at his attacker again, their fight continuing, their attacks seemingly causing the whole place to shake and quiver. The dragon suddenly leapt up, grabbing the form's limb in his jaw, yanking them down, but the corruption had a counter for it.

Energy danced over the machine, shocking the dragon. He cried out, releasing it, falling to the ground, but he slithered swiftly, swinging his tail, one of his lanterns hitting the Omega form. It didn't damage it as much as the dragon had wished, but, what came next…was unexpected on all accounts.

The Omega form took advantage of the downed dragon, and somehow moved, latching onto the base of the dragon's neck, just behind his head. The dragon roared in anger, rearing his head, preparing to ram into them, before he jerked, falling roughly forward, writhing about as the Omega form began to act like a parasite, attaching itself to him, the coils dethatching, and connecting to his neck. Without any limbs, the dragon had little chance of freeing himself as the human laughed.

"To think—down here—I can overpower someone like you!"

The dragon snarled. "Not…just…yet…" he managed, struggling. It was a losing battle, but he wasn't gone just yet…but he had to think…before the corruption won, and became even more dangerous. He had to find a way for something to withstand...and an idea came. He just had to execute it.

However, the chaos was just as insane on the outside of the strange chamber. The beast monsters hadn't slowed in the slightest, and for the group, it seemed for every one they took down, three more would spring up in their place. Grillby was struggling the most, having to make sure he wasn't forced up against a wall, or into the water.

He found himself separated from the others by a good distance, the others far too busy in their own conflicts to notice, though when he wasn't blasting something in the face with his flames, he could see Muffet getting closer as she struggled against the large beasts, but somehow, despite her small appearance, she was handling herself well enough.

A swarm of five small beast monsters came at him, and Grillby blasted them, his expression unreadable. For someone who wasn't known to be a fighting monster, he seemed to be faring well enough. Grillby paused, feeling something loom over him. He turned in time to see a large beast rear up—and pieced together they had been standing in the water.

Grillby went to run, only to get stopped by a smaller beast. He burnt them to a crisp out of desperation, trying to get away. The larger beast smashed down, missing Grillby, but not the water. A large wall of it rose, and Muffet turned at the last second, to see the water slam into the fire elemental—a cry escaping him, before he was gone out of her sight, his flames no longer there.

Muffet gave a horrified gasp and darted forward. "GRILLBY!" she screamed. However, a monster slid into her path, refusing her passage. Muffet jerked, heart hammering, until suddenly, she looked straight on at the large beast, spreading her six arms wide, her five eyes all beginning to glow a light purple.

Threads began to form around her, rising up like live snakes. He was over there, hurt—dying—or already—she didn't even want to think about it—but if this beast thought it could just stand in her way, it was going to find that it was very mistaken. She wasn't to be brushed off like she couldn't do a single thing, and so if she had to, she would step forward, and prove herself.

Because Grillby needed her to persevere if he was somehow—somehow still alive after getting hit by that ridiculous amount of water…but the lack of light in his direction…was Muffet fighting to get to him? Or fighting in denial, refusing to believe what her eyes were telling her? …that he was already gone.

The beast—a large canine it seemed—lunged at her with a growling bark. She dove away; one of her threads lacing around a paw. Then, she circled it, quick and agile. It jumped around, trying to keep her in its sights as her other threads snuck around the remaining legs. Then, she stood perfectly still.

The canine bunched up, and then lunged, launching itself at the spider. She snapped her fingers on one of her upper hands, and the threads sprung to life wrapping around the canine's legs, and a moment later, it was on its back hog tied. She snapped her fingers on another hand as she walked past, a thread coming around its face like a muzzle.

However, she didn't trust the creature to stay bound, and while not a fighter…she wasn't about to let this get up again. She approached it, her fangs glistening, a slight tint of purple coming to them, before she suddenly bit into its neck. A howl of pain came over it before she pulled her fangs free. She watched as the cracks appeared, spread, and then, the creature shattered like glass. Purple magic was known to also have poison, and it turned out Muffet could be quite venomous if she so chose.

With a jerk, she turned, and started running, the glow vanishing from her eyes. "GRILLBY!"

However, even as she got closer…she heard no response…nor did she see even the slightest hints of his flames…but what was she supposed to expect?


	39. They were Determined

Dogamy gave an irritated growl. "You're fighting me," he assured the strange beast. It reminded him of something along the lines of a jellyfish, except, it obviously didn't need water to survive. Its stingers floated a few feet off the ground, and Dogamy could see the energy running along them. The dog shifted his stance, gripping his battle axe tight.

This beast monster had tried to attack Mettaton while he was being swarmed, and Dogamy instantly intercepted, knowing that a beast monster with electricity was the last thing that robot needed to deal with, as it could short circuit his system, leaving him immobile—or even worse off.

Thankfully, he had its attention now, and Mettaton was moving away in his fight with the other beast monsters. It was basically just the two of them. It reached out with a stinging tentacle with rapid speed, with Dogamy jumping back, the limb narrowly missing him.

Dogamy slid slightly on the soft dirt, and then he ran around it, narrowly dodging the other attacks as it swung its dangerous limbs out at him. He had to be constantly on the move—if he stopped—he'd be hit. He eyed the creature, trying to figure out how he could take it down. It wasn't big compared to other beast monsters…it'd probably just take one clean hit to get rid of it. Honestly, if it weren't for the limbs, it was about the size of a Moldsmal.

He jerked his head back, a stinging tentacle going right past his nose, the fur on his muzzle standing on end as it went past, and then as it began to retreat, Dogamy yelped as it smacked him in the face. He hit the ground, jerking as the energy coursed through him. He rolled as it struck at him again, and ended up on all fours, one hand still clenching the axe. He looked up, baring his fangs with a growl, his fur bristling in agitation.

It struck again, and he lunged away, on all fours, but as he landed, he jumped up right, adjusting his hold on the battle axe, his eyes narrowed as he gave a ferocious bark of warning at the beast monster, letting it know that it would be a mistake to attack again. It didn't heed his warning, and struck once more, with Dogamy swinging his axe, severing one of the many limbs.

He turned as it struck again, watching it fly past his face, but this time, he jumped back so that he wouldn't get hit when it came back. Dogamy had enough, and as it recoiled, he jumped forth. Realizing he was taking the affirmative, the beast shot out all of its limbs. Dogamy smirked, seeing that it had fallen for his trap.

With a shout, he swung his blade, severing the limbs in one fell swoop, then, without hesitation, he leaped up, and came crashing down, blade gleaming as he cut the rest of the creature cleanly in half. As it fell, the spider web cracks spread across it, and just like all the other beasts he had fell down here, it shattered.

Dogamy gave a worried frown as he turned back to the chaos. This wasn't right…beast monsters should crumble into dust—he knew that for a fact—he had seen it happen. It only happened once, but Dogamy had dealt with a beast monster. They weren't supposed to shatter like that. Perhaps it was because they were down in the Abyss; felling beasts that had already been slain might have changed this.

The dog shook his head, and then flinched, reaching a hand up to his face where he had some bleeding scratches. It wasn't in the front of his mind as he went after another beast monster, but there was a voice nagging in the back that said he was going to be in a lot of trouble if and when he actually, finally, got home to his wife… The thought of her made him cut down another beast with general ease. That was right, she was waiting—and he promised to be back before the pups arrived, he wasn't about to go down in this fight!

On the opposite end of the long shore, Muffet hurried over. "Grillby!" There was no response, no light…she dropped to her knees beside what was left. Just his attire. "Oh gods…" she stammered, covering her mouth with two of her hands, another pair still reaching toward her face, while the third pair clasped their fingers together tightly.

She knew fire elementals were vulnerable to water—she knew this could have happened—but—it had happened so fast. In that one instant, he was snuffed out of existence. The rest of the fight didn't matter; it was just muffled sounds in the background as everyone fought a bit away from where she was.

The large creature that had caused it was now being attacked by several of the other souls, each hacking at legs, trying to kill it before it wiped everyone else out…

Muffet shivered, trying to reign her emotions in. She couldn't cry—not now—she had to get out there and fight before someone else was killed. She started to stand, but then she paused, and looked back. The black rain coat was moving slowly, and she thought she saw… Frowning, she slowly grabbed the coat edge by the hood, unzipping it slightly, before letting go with a surprised gasp.

Looking at her tiredly was a small fire elemental. It looked up at her, trying to move, but too weak to do so under the clothing's constraints, its arms barely even reaching the elbows of the outfit.

Muffet blinked, trying to comprehend what had happened, and then it clicked. The rain coat he wore—it had saved some of his flames, leaving him only mostly extinguished, but still burning. The spider monster stared, before it finally hit her. He needed to regain his energy! Without even truly thinking about it, she reached up, ripping the bow ties out of her hair, letting it fall as it may before practically shoving them into the little elemental's face, unsure of how much time he had.

The fire monster took it without a word, the bow ties instantly going up in flames, the embers becoming a part of him, though Muffet realized that was nowhere near enough, and so, she summoned a thread as the fire elemental slowly reached out. He grabbed one end of it, burning it as she created it, steadily, slowly, Grillby began recovering his flames.

However, it seemed he was gathering most around him without morphing his shape, and when he had enough, Muffet wasn't quite sure what she saw. He drew his arm back into the sleeve, and then, his eyes disappeared. The flames shifted and altered as he reorganized his form, his flames filling the clothing carefully, before finally, it seemed he was back to normal. He zipped the rain coat back up properly, and then began to feel around, trying to find something.

Muffet realized it was his glasses, and then scouted around, before finding them. "Here you are, Sir," she said as she leaned close. "I think they're a little crooked but…" She placed them on his face, and he looked up at her. He took her hand, and then stood quickly; forcing her to stand as well as he slipped his shoes back on, his flames moving oddly.

"Th…thank you…" he managed, sounding a little off, but it was likely because of how he had lost so much of his flames. "That was far too close for comfort…"

"Will you be all right, Sir?" Muffet asked in concern. "That was a lot of water—"

"I replenished my flames, Miss. Muffet," he managed as they started to move. "I'll be fine." It wasn't safe, they had to keep moving.

She had no issue, managing to keep up with him, but in the black, darker things were harder to catch in their vision. "That's good, Sir, you had m—" The rest of her sentence became a strangled gasp. Grillby whipped around, only to find that a nearly pitch black beast had managed to sneak up on them in the dark, and he could only see it now because of his flames.

It was a tusked beast…evident by the tusk that was protruding from Muffet's chest, blood soaking it. "MUFFET!" Grillby cried out as his voice found itself.

Numbly, two of Muffet's hands grabbed at the tusk, her mind not fully comprehending the situation now that she was in complete shock. She coughed, feeling blood on her lips. "Gr—…rill…by," she managed, her voice strained in desperate breaths she still managed to take. The moment seemed to stretch on, but it all happened in just a few seconds.

The beast wrenched back, the tusk freeing itself from the spider monster, but now that it wasn't there to support her, she fell to the ground like a little rag doll. She didn't stay there however as Grillby grabbed her. "Muffet!" Her eyes were closed, and she was unresponsive, panicking the fire elemental further.

However, the beast monster was still there, and Grillby had to deal with it, before he could help her. He'd be no good to her dead—especially after she had risked racing to him to save him. Grillby looked up at the large beast as his flames started to change color, going from his typical red, orange, and yellow, to shades of blue.

The beast lunged, and due to Muffet being so small and light, the fire elemental easily held her in one arm. With his other hand free, he sent out a large fire attack, the blue flames crawling around at the beast, as if the flames itself was its own entity, trying to devour it. However, what had happened had sent Grillby a bit further. Blue flames were hotter than red…but there was another one.

Usually, Grillby's face was quite featureless, but white flames began to appear where his mouth would have been, the pattern turning into a terrifying frown as he glared up at it. However, it disappeared out of sight into the white flames that spread across him. White…the hottest a fire could get.

Grillby stood fully, and then blasted his attack forth, the fire going over the creature like a wave, covering it. The beast screamed in agony, the fire burning steadily away at it. Then, it began to die, and then it shattered. When that happened, Grillby dropped to his knees, his flames going back to normal as he looked over Muffet's wound.

She was still bleeding heavily but—somehow—there was no sign of dust yet—she still had a chance, so long as Grillby didn't hesitate! Thankfully, he was more of a healer than a fighter, and swiftly, he put a hand over her wound, an orange glow of magic coming around his hand as he put all of his concentration into saving her.

The battle raged still, and now, Grillby was defenseless. If he stopped, she would likely die, and so, as he healed her, he leaned over her, so that he would be somewhat of a shield if they were attacked. He ignored—though he was aware of it—another beast that came out of the water. It was a strange creature, a mix of an armadillo and a porcupine, perhaps. It growled, tucking itself into a ball, before rolling toward them at a surprising speed, the tips of the spines glistening.

Grillby ducked his head, unable to trade his healing for an attack. He expected the force of the beast—but instead, loud metallic clangs greeted him. He jerked his head up in alarm—his light being the only thing that allowed him to make out what was going on. Two beings in black armor stood between him and the beast, their swords crossed as they slowly pushed the beast back.

The royal guards of Hotlands.

The rabbit guard groaned, putting all his weight into pushing back against the beast. "Bro—I can't keep this up!"

"Hang on," the dragon guard instructed. He slid back briefly, but then with a battle cry, he slammed forward, his armor protecting him well as he sent the beast flying back, falling on the ground, though it was swiftly getting back up.

The rabbit turned. "Hey—are you two all right!?"

"I'm fine—but her wound needs to be healed!" Grillby exclaimed, his flames wavering in his panicked state.

"Then heal her," the dragon stated. "We'll deal with the beast. Just focus on her; let us worry about this fight!"

Grillby sighed in relief. "Thank you…" he managed. While they may have fallen to a human's blade, he trusted them to fend well against beasts like these. It was one of the things they were trained for, though that was only if they had the misfortune of running into them.

The two guards turned back to the angry creature, their ebony blades glistening in the dark. The dragon was quiet, while the rabbit stepped forward. "Come on—had enough already?" he challenged.

It curled up, preparing to attack again. "Apparently not…" the dragon murmured before sliding into a readied attack stance. It rolled at them, and the dragon swiped his sword, sending it into the air. The rabbit leapt up, swiftly kicking it, and as it fell, the dragon's blade was there to greet it.

The sword impaled the soft underbelly, and the rabbit landed on its back, calling out in surprise as he managed to land his feet in between the spikes on it. Then, he drove his own blade into the back of its neck. The creature screamed and shattered. The sudden disappearance caused the rabbit to fall roughly to the ground with a metal clang and a loud grunt.

He moaned softly, and then looked up to his partner offering his hand quietly. "Well done," the dragon stated. "Need to work on your landings though."

"Hey—I totally landed perfectly on it—but…" He took the dragon's hand. "Thanks, bro."

The dragon helped the other to his feet, and then turned to Grillby. "How is she?"

He shook his head. "She needs more healing."

"Take your time," the dragon guard stated.

"Yeah," the rabbit assured. "We can hold off any more beasts that come your way."

Grillby made a soft sound of relief. "Thank you…" Without them, he'd be in trouble right now. Muffet's wound was no laughing matter, as the tusk had pierced her clean through, leaving a large, gaping wound, that somehow, hadn't turned her instantly into dust.

 _You'll be all right…just hang in there…_

However, as Grillby desperately tried to save Muffet's life, there was another, much more violent struggle in the chamber, with much more at stake.

The dragon reared his head back, eyes shut against the pain as he let loose another roar. The Omega Form had firmly latched itself onto the great being now, and the corruption decided to suit the dragon more to their needs. The dragon screeched; the sound just as terrifying as his roar as something began to appear, emerging slowly, and painfully.

Two thick green vines began to grow out of the dragon's body, with off white thorns scattered about them. The dragon writhed in pain, tails thrashing. In fact, both of the lanterns he used to hold were broken, lying on the floor of the chamber, no longer casting their light. The pain seemed to continue forever, until claw-like thorns raked the ground.

The dragon rose, the vines having become limbs, but they only supported him at the corruption's whim. However, in the pain, the corruption had set to more work, and now, two more limbs of the same type formed back legs for the dragon as well. The corruption smiled on their screen, the claws flexing with ease at their control. It was better than figuring out how to get this dragon to slither around for them. Yet…why not add another little thing…?

The dragon cried out, his spine—just behind where his new front limbs were—felt like it was on fire! Frisk looked up, their red eyes widening in terror, as something else began to grow—and they could only watch, the dragon's shadow cast about the chamber, as it writhed and changed. Until there was a final cry, and the dragon fell, panting in exhaustion.

The corruption laughed. "My, this is easier than I thought it would be…what do you think of these?" There was a rustle, like the sound of dead leaves, which was exactly what they were. Two, large dead leaves, attached to the dragon's back like…wings, and seeing how powerful everything else was, there was no doubt in anyone's mind about how well they would work.

"Now, I think it's time to get rid of the rest of you," the corruption purred.

The dragon gagged as he jerked his head, feeling the corruption starting to attack him in his own mind, a rim of red starting to appear in his eyes. He was going to lose—he writhed about, and then roared once more. However, this one wasn't of pain, and there was something…primal about it…Frisk didn't quite understand, but…it felt like the dragon was…calling for someone?

The red color began to close in on the rest of the dragon's eyes as he writhed about, and then looked at Frisk head on as they tried to struggle onto their knees. Then, he opened his maw, and blasted his magic at them. All Frisk could do was scream.

On the other side of the chamber, Toriel and Asgore froze, hearing something.

 _Determination…_

The two looked at each other, and then something clicked. They knew, somehow, they knew. "Frisk!" They rushed for the crevice, and at the last moment, reverted back into soul form, fading into the dark.

 _Patience…_

Gaster paused, and turned his head, a look of dismay on his face. No… Without hesitation, he heeded the call.

 _Bravery…_

Papyrus halted as he shoved a beast away, hearing the soft calling, then, he too, ran for the crevice.

 _Integrity…_

Sans jerked his head up as he flung a beast away, trying to find the source of the voice, but to no avail. However, within his soul, he knew where to go, and raced off, teleporting when he could.

 _Kindness…_

Undyne looked over her shoulder as she wrestled with a beast. "Huh?" She kicked it away, and then raced off, knowing that something needed her.

 _Justice…_

Alphys gave a soft gasp, whipping around, looking about, before scampering off, sliding under a beast at the last second.

 _…Perseverance…_

Muffet gave a strangled gasp, her body jerking in Grillby's hold. She heard the call, but currently, was unable to respond to it. The guards were occupied with beast monsters that dared to attack the defenseless, and Grillby had his eyes shut, focusing everything into healing her wound. They didn't notice…they didn't see the monster soul that slipped out of her chest, with a purple glow around it, though Grillby noticed that her breath stilled, and her chest had stopped rising…

There was no dust under his touch yet, and that was what kept him going.

However, as that soul flew off, knowing where it was being called to, Chara poked their head out of a hiding spot they had found. They had seen…and they knew that without a soul, the body should have vanished, but it seemed, in the Abyss, there was a bit more time. They looked down at the broken soul in their hands. Perhaps they could protect the soul, and it could find itself useful.

They rushed over, perfectly silent, and held the broken soul over Muffet's battered form, gently coaxing it to phase into her limp, currently unmoving body. Slowly, the broken soul slid in…and a moment later, the spider shuddered, a little raspy breath rushing through her. The body was still alive…

In the chamber, Frisk screamed as the magic hit them. It felt like something had pelted their back numerous times, causing them to fall forward on the ground as pain began to completely take over.

They clutched at their throbbing head, sobbing pitifully as something seemed to slice into their skin. They shut their crimson eyes, feeling as if they were on fire. Frisk briefly rolled onto their back, covering their face as the sensation took over. There was nothing but searing pain.

The pain moved down, and Frisk screeched, feeling like their hands were being cut into by a sharp blade—but it was nothing for what came next. Frisk rolled back over with another choked, strangled sound as they clutched at their sides, breathing heavily. It was like something was trying to claw its way out, and it wouldn't stop! Frisk couldn't help the tears that were flowing down their face—there was only so much they could take—and this was nothing but agony!

And it wasn't done—not yet. Frisk whimpered, their spine feeling—Frisk wasn't even sure anymore. All they knew was that it hurt, and that it didn't feel right. The pain then went down their legs, and they cried, feeling as if their feet were slowly being crushed, and in the back of their mind, they could hear things being torn apart.

Then—the pain suddenly vanished.

Frisk's cries disappeared as well.

Just like that.

But time did not reset.

The dragon stumbled back, eyes completely red now, the head low, until it rose on the Corruption's command. There was a sound of annoyance. The magic attack had left an odd mist all over the place, and they couldn't see anything on the ground anymore. They growled, and lowered themselves down fully, their head searching the mist for what would be left of Frisk's body—if anything.

They weren't having much luck finding them though. They jerked, hearing footsteps in the mist. Was the human alive—impossible! They had run out of healing items—they had taken the dragon's attack head on—there was no way…

They saw a pair of horns cut through the mist. They jerked. Asgore!? How did he— They growled lowly. No matter, they killed him once; they could easily kill him again. A blue eye glowed in the mist, fading away just a moment later.

The corruption turned, smashing the ground, but missing the small skeleton. They caught sight of Alphys's tail, and went to snag her, but she jumped away, disappearing into the thick mist.

A palm-less hand showed briefly and again, they tried to grab it, but Gaster seemed to be a step ahead, vanishing in an instant. The corruption grew irritated, growling lowly. They saw Undyne's ear fin, and swiped, but she ducked, and seemed to avoid getting hit.

They stared into the mist, and then stiffened as they saw an orange glowing eye. Papyrus! They sent out a vine, but the eye faded, and they caught nothing. They growled, but cut it off as they glimpsed multiple arms cutting through the mist just slightly. Muffet? They vanished.

The corruption was reaching its wit's end, when they heard rapid footsteps. Glancing to the side, they saw white monster feet in the mist, but the footfalls were too quiet to be Asgore's…Toriel's then. However, she quickly fled as well.

The creature quivered, and then roared in frustration. "ENOUGH!" They slammed the ground, the mist somehow dispersing at their will, but more that it collected at the walls, than actually fading. "Come on out, and I'll end this quickly," they promised.

"…all right…" came a quiet voice.

Stepping out of the mist was a brown-haired child, but the corruption jerked in surprise at the rest of the details. White horns adorned their head…ear fins stuck out of their hair…they had four arms instead of two, and each palm had a cleanly made hole in them, the wounds sealed with flesh, showing no blood or bone.

They had a yellow lizard tail, and white furred feet, their shoes having been sent to tatters. They still wore a bandage, and the locket, and while their lower hands were clenched in tight fists, they wielded a stick they had found in the chamber in an upper hand…and the dagger in the other. They slowly looked up, and opened their eyes. The white of their eyes were now black, and their irises glowed. The right glowed orange….and the left glowed blue.

"What…the hell are you?"

The child didn't say a thing as they slipped into an attack stance that wasn't their own. Perhaps, the answer was already obvious.

Their eyes glowed harshly.

They were determined.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Since I can't provide links, I'd like to direct you to "Fusion Frisk Theme(Corrupted File)" by Faldoror Laridon on youtube. This amazing person made music for Frisk's new form-PLUS, there is art of said form on the video, so there's some extra incentive to track it down. XP

Fusion Frisk theme(Corrupted File)


	40. Paying the Price

Frisk's dual colored eyes slowly looked up at the massive creature. It seemed that the odd changes to their body were ignored—or somehow not noticed currently. Frisk…heard murmurs of their friends—confused, but, they all agreed on one thing. This corruption had to be stopped.

The corruption looked the child over; aside from the horns, Frisk was still the same height. They were still the same small puny little child. Honestly, as far as the corruption saw it, this simply put them all in one spot. Frisk stood, watching, blinking their odd eyes. The dragon raised a plant limb, the red thorn claws curling as it prepared to strike.

They slammed down, and Frisk side stepped behind a tree. However, it was too thin to have hidden behind, and yet they didn't show up on the other side. The corruption jerked. The teleportation ability! The dragon screeched as a knife ran down a paw, the signals reaching the corruption.

They jerked, and looked down to see that Frisk had somehow appeared behind the limb, their knife digging into the thick green vine. It seemed, even now, Frisk didn't want to hurt anyone, and was just trying to get rid of the plant limbs that were not truly a part of the dragon.

The corruption snarled, and rammed their limb back. Frisk cried out as they were sent flying, but a blue aura came around them, and they flipped, slowly landing on their white furred feet.

They looked up, ear fins twitching and the tail flicked harshly as they landed in front of the red pillar, the light falling on them. "You think this is going to change anything!?" the corruption demanded, and then laughed. "Uniting with them in every sense of the word? I've killed most of them twice—and you think that now you're all together—that you can just stop me!?"

They laughed and reared the dragon's head back with a cackle. "If this 'God'—if that's even what he is—couldn't stop me—then what does this—" They pointed at Frisk with a red thorn claw. "Change in the slightest!?"

Frisk honestly didn't know. They…felt different, they felt like they changed—not that they were blind to what had happened, but rather, numb to the facts. They know they changed so…shouldn't that make a difference? Frisk could feel their presence; all were waiting for an opening to attempt a counter attack, to somehow stop this madness.

It didn't matter to them, if the odds were still ridiculous, after all, Frisk, on their own, had gone against a god before, and came out on top, couldn't they do it again? Especially like this? They stepped forward, gripping their two weapons tight, their other hands clenching shut as they glared up. They weren't scared—no, that was a lie, they were terrified, but honestly, there was no point in being afraid. It wasn't like they could run. No matter what they did, there were only two outcomes.

Either they defeated the corruption here, and saved this timeline—this entire dimension…or…they lose, and when they lose, they lose literally everything. This former human had made it clear that they would simply destroy world after world, and now that they had a creature like the dragon under their control…it could be done with ease.

And Frisk couldn't allow that…they couldn't allow that to just happen! So, they moved forward, breaking into a run. They would either win—or die fighting for the right thing!

Outside of the chamber, Gerson breathed heavily, clenching a weapon tight in his hands. Slowly, he raised his head, looking around. He felt that maybe there were less Beast Monsters than before…he hoped…he wasn't meant for battle anymore, though, he knew, the moment he had picked up his weapon back in the Underground…

He had known for a fact, that he would enter the fray once more.

There was a gurgling growl, and Gerson turned to see a beast that caused his eyes to go wide. It was lizard like, but his mind compared it to the beast like creature in Undyne's memory. He stared, trembling. That beast monster…they weren't the same, but they were of similar origin, for certain. Both were souls that were crushed by their emotions and then mangled to near non-recognition.

It lunged at him, but it was then that the old warrior's eyes narrowed, and he slid into a fighting stance, and then he swung his weapon.

A war hammer collided with the beast's head, sending it tumbling to the side. Gerson gave a tired huff, clutching his old weapon. There had been a reason that he was called the 'Hammer of Justice', though, it wasn't the only reason.

"I've been around for a thousand years and then some," Gerson replied to the attack. "You gotta do a little better than that to get around me, Beast."

The lizard hissed, and Gerson ignored the similarities. It came at him again, but the turtle was surprisingly a little agile, despite his appearance and age. He dove to the side, and the lizard came at him again. Gerson raised the hammer, but only slightly, grunting as the beast plowed its head into it, causing him to slide back.

He nearly fell, but regained his footing, knowing that he couldn't get knocked over. It had been hard enough to get back up when he was young—getting up quickly at his age was not an option, unfortunately.

The beast leapt back, jerking its slender body back and forth, trying to figure out how to attack him. Then, it lunged again. Gerson jumped to the side, and then came forward, slamming the hammer down—

And he missed, the hammer imbedding into the ground.

The creature spun, lunging for him, taking it to its advantage, only to yelp when it got kicked in the face. The hammer's handle was flexible, and could bend slightly without breaking. Gerson had used the momentum of his missed attack to get into the air as he held onto the handle, kicking as he came down.

The moment his feet met the ground, his still going momentum from slamming it down allowed him to swing it up over his head, and then with a lot more force than before, he brought it down. This time, he came crashing down on the beast's head, shattering its skull. Gerson stumbled backwards, regaining his balance, as the lizard went limp, and began to break, shattering just a few moments later.

Gerson breathed heavily and shakily as he fully rose, his body protesting to the insanity he was dragging it through. Still, he was a little surprised to see that he still had it in him. His days of battle were long gone…so he had thought, but it was good to know he still had it for when the need arose.

He frowned, and turned, looking for another beast to take down. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go through with this…

Back in the chamber, Frisk vanished behind a tree, and teleported behind a rock, out of the corruption's sight. They panted, an empty hand clutched at their chest. This was still strange, but Frisk was numb to the shock and confusion of their new state of being. It wasn't time to question or panic over it. What mattered was somehow taking down the corruption.

Everyone was in agreement.

With that, they were on the move again, taking a shortcut, finding themselves in midair. A red trident of magic formed in their hands, and with a cry, they swung it, and as they did so, fire balls formed between the trident's tips, sailing out, pelting the plant limb they were attacking near the base. The trident lodged into it, but it didn't seem to do much.

The corruption jerked, and then shook their limb, causing Frisk to be shaken free, the trident vanishing. Frisk fell—but only a few feet as they were teleported again, landing on the ground with a grunt. The corruption came at them, but they looked up, eyes blazing as Gaster Blasters rose to their aid, though Frisk felt drained upon their summoning. Thankfully, it was enough.

They blasted forth, intercepting attacks that were coming from the Omega form. Explosions happened in the space between the two enemies, while Frisk shakily got to their feet, a spear followed suit, flying up at the Omega form, penetrating its own limb, before dispersing—but if it left a mark, they couldn't see it from down below.

The ear fins twitched in irritation, and then Frisk leapt away, finding that they could jump higher, though the horns upon their head were odd, seemingly weighing them down. Their vision…it seemed normal, but at the same time, it was a little strange, as they could see magical energy that wasn't even being used just yet, and they could feel the magic within them.

They were housing so much.

Their tail flicked harshly, and they raised their hand, feeling the familiar magic of Alphys. Because the lizard used Assist Magic, Frisk was more at home as they fired bullets—except these ones were real—actually capable of true damage.

Frisk ran as they shot at the creature, trying to do some actual damage to it, and then, something appeared in their free lower hand. A thread. Frisk frowned, but then, the idea leapt forth in their mind. They smiled, hearing the murmurs of agreement as they sent it flying, latching onto a limb. Well, the bigger they were…the harder they would fall.

The human—if that was what Frisk was anymore—ran wildly, panicking. How would they keep the corruption from stopping them!? This dragon was going to take a while to run around! They felt Alphys's magic pull back, and then their palm ached as they turned, pale blue magic shooting out, and forming a melted Gaster Blaster that was sent flying, not to attack, but rather, to distract the corruption, and buy them some time.

Frisk ran, glancing at their palm-less hand. There was no other obvious wound, and the others felt fine, but it seemed, when doing that magic, it had hurt a bit. However, Frisk continued to run, feeling the magic surging through them. The orange eye blazed and a wall of bone formed to save them from another attack, as Frisk continued to run. They just had to distract the corruption and finish this. If they could bring the corruption down to their level—maybe they could win this.

On the other side of the chamber walls, Mettaton pressed his back against the unseen rock, making a reluctant groan. "Disgusting…" He had been dealing with many beast monsters, just like the others, but he finally ended up with one that was simply revolting. It had probably been a slime monster, but this one was a sickly yellow to the point that if Mettaton was capable, he would have lost his meal just from the sight—though he couldn't be faulted for that.

He couldn't tell, but it reeked, and it made horrible sounds as it moved toward him as it slid along the ground, some of its body rising to form a horrendous mouth. Mettaton side stepped. This form was not quite meant for fighting—sure he had a few things going for him—with physical attacks and whatnot, but most of what Frisk knew had been restricted to the location they had fought in…

On his own, he didn't have much in magic attacks—which was what he needed with this one. Kicking it wasn't going to be the solution this time—not that he wanted to even touch it with a twenty foot pole.

It lunged at him, and with a cry of alarm, the robot dove to the side. Mettaton may often be labeled as materialistic, but in this case, no one would want to get touched by that. He leaped back, wishing desperately that he really did have more in the way of weaponry when it came to this form.

The creature was faster than it looked though, and Mettaton's cry of alarm was cut off as it came down on top of him, sending him to the ground, covering him completely. The beast monster's shape went back to being nearly completely flat, before suddenly, there was a loud crackle, and energy could be seen through it, all clustered in one area, before with a soft blast, it spread all over the creature.

It shrieked, writhing about, its body solidifying from the treatment, before it began to crack, and shatter, with Mettaton jumping up abruptly, still covered in some remnants of goo that for some reason—to his dismay—didn't vanish along with the rest of it. He flailed, swiping it off his hair and body, and when he saw some on his arm, he shook it wildly until it slid off.

"Ugh! Disgusting! Horrendous! Terrible! Zero stars!" he exclaimed. The shouting didn't change anything, but it made him feel slightly better. Once he knew he got it off him, he tucked his arms in, giving an involuntarily shudder. Still trying to get over the event, Mettaton didn't pick up on the other beast monster until the last moment. He whipped around, jumping back, but, before he could do anything, it lurched, cracks spreading from its back—where it had been struck—and then to the rest of it, before it shattered.

Mettaton stared, blinking a few times. "Mettaton!" The voice came from behind the robot. Mettaton whipped around to see a ghost fly into sight.

"Blooky!" The robot rushed over, grabbing the ghost. "Are you all right—where have you been!?"

"I'm okay, I just had to lay low…they had magic attacks, so it was dangerous for me…I'm sorry…did anything hurt you?" they asked, appearing to be unaware of the two close calls Mettaton had.

"I'm fine, Blooky," the robot managed in relief. "Just don't scare me like that, I was worried…"

Before anymore could be said, there was a loud rumbling, the entire ground shaking. Mettaton jerked his head up. "What was that!?"

The answer to Mettaton's question laid in the chamber, where the dragon had fallen, its limbs tangled in thread. Frisk ran with a battle cry—and while it was their voice—it seemed it had a bit of Undyne in it. They leapt up, and with San's ability, they teleported higher, before everyone lent in their magic.

Purple threads struck out, grasping at the dragon's head to keep it down, varying bones, spears, fireballs, and bullets all flew, along with varying Gaster Blasters, the explosions large, all directly hitting the Omega Form.

Frisk dropped down, wincing, as their unprotected feet met the ground. They tensed with weapons ready, magic—though waning—it was ready to fire again. The smoke cleared, and the screen of the Omega Form was cracked—the image wavering, before finally showing the corruption again. They smiled, tilting their heads eerily. "You really are an idiot."

Without warning, a vine shot up from the ground, piercing Frisk. They tried to scream, but instantly, their health was nothing—and their soul fell apart.

But they refused.

Frisk gave a cry as their soul reformed, their health restored, giving ragged gasps as they glared up at the corruption. No, they wouldn't let it win! The corruption growled lowly. "If this was your best shot…then you're not going to win…but I have had enough of playing around with you!"

However, the corruption knew it couldn't simply kill Frisk. They had renewed determination, and wouldn't simply be felled—but they once held such a power—they knew how to use it to their advantage. The dragon reared back, slamming its body against the wall of the chamber, making a loud ruckus. The ground rumbled, and Frisk had to adjust their stance to avoid falling over.

The creature came back down, and then lunged to the other side of the chamber, the rumbling spreading far, the quaking reaching those even well away from the chamber, out in the ocean. Frisk stumbled back, panicking thoughts coming through their mind from the others.

As the creature turned, the image changed, showing Flowey, but the image kept trying to change back. It seemed, the flower was still there—using the last of his energy. "Frisk! RUN! They're trying to bring the whole Abyss down on top of you!" Just as he said that, they heard more rumbling, a crack, and then, a distant, but loud, and large splash. Something—rocks most likely—had fallen into the ocean.

Frisk, however, didn't move. They had to defeat the corruption—they had to save Flowey! "You idiot!" Flowey snapped. "If you can't do it for yourself—do it for the others—" And just like that, Flowey was gone, the corruption back on the screen, but Frisk's eyes widened, realizing that he was right.

The abyss could come down on Frisk with no consequence, they could just reform themselves—albeit, there was something different about it now, and it worried them—however—the others that were out there…they would die—and this form of reviving didn't reset anything! Plus…if they died…Frisk would likely break down, and the corruption could seize the power of resets back. Stay here and save one…or go out and save the others?

The answer was clear…but it didn't soothe Frisk's heart in the least. They ran, looking guiltily over their shoulder, as they left Flowey behind. Then, they vanished as they ducked behind the lone pillar that held no light.

"Back off!" Mettaton shouted as he kicked at a beast.

Gerson jumped with a cry, ramming his war hammer down on a beast, while Dogamy slid under another, slicing them through the soft underbelly. The Royal Guards fought as a team, taking on one of the larger beast monsters, and Napstablook hung close to Grillby and Muffet, who were in the center of a ring of fighters now.

However, they were losing, and the addition of the quaking Abyss didn't help matters. They were getting surrounded, and sure enough, would be overwhelmed.

There was a cry, and magic bullets flew, pelting at a beast that was too close to the center. Everyone turned to see Frisk—and gawked, instantly seeing the changes. "We have to leave!" the child cried. The beasts were gathering around, and the child turned, raising a hand. Mangled monster souls appeared, turning green, locking them in place.

That would buy them a few moments. There was more rumbling, and everyone jerked their heads up to see the red-eyed dragon on top of the wall surrounding the chamber. "EVERYONE GRAB SOMEBODY!" Frisk screamed.

There was no time for questions, and soon, the whole group had one another. Frisk raised a hand, left eye glowing and Grillby gasped, as the magic lifted him and Muffet. What Frisk would do would put Grillby in danger. They couldn't let him touch the ground. The dragon jumped, aiming to crash down on top of them, but at the last moment, they vanished.

Frisk gasped as they fell into water, but they managed to keep Grillby from sharing the same fate. They pulled themselves out, looking ahead, and then realized they were laying on top of the thread Muffet had made. They grabbed onto it, and then followed it along, until Grillby's light revealed the entrance to the Abyss. Frisk's eyes widened and to their relief, the webbing Muffet had made for Grillby was still there, attached to the walls of the place. They set him down on it, and then he, along with the others, raced out.

However, just as the Royal Guards were about to go and attempt passing the barrier, razor sharp thorns came down, snatching the rabbit guard, and dragging him back. The other guard gave a startled sound, and then raced after him, with Frisk on his heels, summoning Asgore's trident again. 02 grabbed the rabbit's arm, while Frisk lodged the weapon into the paw, trying to get him free, even resorting to fireballs in an attempt to burn the plant limb.

Frisk panicked, unsure of how the corruption had caught up, but ideas swirled around. Perhaps, in the blackness, they had actually been closer to the entrance than they thought, or perhaps, the corruption was able to use the soil down in the Abyss to achieve this. Frisk didn't know, and right then, it didn't matter.

The dragon guard realized, however, that it was a lost cause. They wouldn't be able to free him—and, it occurred to him…they were dead—they couldn't cross that barrier without consequence. "Child, go!" he shouted. "Get the others away from this thing!"

Frisk went to protest, but he grabbed them, tossing them, before both were yanked into the black, out of Frisk's sight. There was a rumbling, and then, two large red eyes glowed in the dark, and then the broken screen appeared. The dragon then lunged down. Frisk cried out, raising their arms in defense—and the dragon plowed into a wall of blue bones.

On reflex, a counter strike was made, and orange bones were sent sailing, piercing into the limbs of the beast, before the child turned—rushing into the little cavern where the waterfall was. Everyone was standing on the webs, looking up at the ropes. There was no way to climb up fast enough!

Frisk thought briefly, and then, gulped. "Everyone, hold on!" This would either work—or…it wouldn't. The webbing began to altar, forming up a wall of threads around them, then, using the blue magic, Frisk made it dethatch from the walls, and start to levitate it up, like an odd elevator. The child dropped to one knee, feeling beyond exhausted, but…the murmurs coaxed them on. They had to make it to the top!

Just as they lifted it above the tunnel, the dragon's head slammed into the cavern wall. The group gave shouts of alarm as the world shook around them, and they jerked their heads up to see falling rocks. Napstablook's eyes widened, and then they phased through the webbing, sailing down toward the dragon, eyes narrowing as they focused.

Frisk raised a spare hand, bullets firing at the boulders, flames incasing the bullets along with electricity, causing the rocks to explode and shatter so that they were mostly harmless. There was a thundering roar, and Frisk managed to perform a final teleportation once they passed a narrow part of the long drop.

They reappeared at the top of the waterfall, with Grillby falling onto the wooden platform, clutching Muffet close as the world continued to shake. Most others fell into the water, aside from Frisk, who fell on the edge of the platform, unresponsive. Gerson gasped and lunged over the child as rocks fell, hitting his shell and falling away as Mettaton grabbed Dogamy and Grillby sheltered Muffet.

The world continued to shake, large boulders falling down into the passage to the Abyss. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the rumbling stopped, and Gerson looked up, before crawling over, staring down. So much had fallen in…actually; he could easily slip down to the top of the rock pile. "Good Gods…" he managed shakily.

He then jerked to attention, looking around. The kid, Grillby, Muffet, Mettaton Dogamy— "Where's your cousin!?"

Mettaton gasped, and looked around. "Blooky? BLOOKY!"

"I'm fine!" Phasing out of the rocks was an exhausted ghost. Mettaton stared and then grabbed them.

"Blooky, I told you not to do that!"

"I'm sorry…"

Gerson looked around. "The guards…and the flower…" He shook his head.

Grillby shakily looked up. "We'll worry about them later—the child and Muffet need help!"

"Right!" the turtle shouted. "Mettaton—take Muffet—get her to that lab in Hotlands, it's the closest place that can treat her. Dogamy, get Grillby out of here, I'll take the kid too, they need to get looked at." He grabbed them, glad to hear them faintly breathing. It seemed they had reached their limits, and were paying the price. With that, the group was on the move, with Napstablook draped over their cousin's shoulder.

In just under a minute, the group was gone, rushing to aid the wounded. A minute later, a red ghost appeared. The true Chara…they looked down at the blocked passage, trembling, before falling to their knees, and covering their face.

Asriel…


	41. Defense Mechanism

Mettaton and Gerson rushed into Alphys's lab, with the old turtle panting heavily. Despite being able to take the river, he was drained, and running out of steam too after that horrid battle. He clutched the child close, looking about worriedly, while Mettaton hurried over, easily pushing the call button for the elevator.

He looked around and then went to Alphys's computer while the elevator decided to take its sweet time. "What are you doing?" Gerson demanded as Mettaton switched his hold on the spider monster, grateful for the fact that she was smaller than most. His cousin, however, slowly slid off him, not wanting to be in the way.

"Getting information," Mettaton said. "I don't know how to run things down here—and we may not have time to wait for a doctor from the city!"

"We don't have time for you to be reading!" the turtle snapped.

"If I were any other monster—yes! But I'm a robot—I can download the knowledge right away—just trust me on this!"

Gerson breathed out, and then reluctantly nodded. He looked down, checking on Frisk. Their vitals seemed normal, at the very least. Then, he went over to look at Muffet, who was breathing ever so slightly. He frowned at the blood stained outfit, moving it slightly to see the wound, only to be surprised to see it mostly healed.

The turtle closed his eyes as he placed his hand over it. While more of a fighter, he did have some healing magic at his disposal, and while tired, he had to do something to help keep her alive.

Once the computer was completely fired up, Mettaton held a hand to the USB ports. The tip of his pointer finger flipped back, revealing a flash drive. He inserted it, and became connected with the computer. His eyes lit up brightly, data flying pass his eyes in zeros and ones at a ridiculous speed, but his computer mind could keep up with it all.

Just as the elevator announced its arrival, Mettaton pulled back, the tip of his finger folding back into place, the glow dimming away as he stood abruptly. "I got it—come on!" With that, they hurried into the elevator, with Gerson leaning heavily on the wall as Mettaton sent it downwards, scanning Muffet quietly.

"How is she?" Gerson asked.

"I'm…not sure," Mettaton managed slowly. "She does have that wound, but that's been mostly healed, but I'm getting some strange readings…in theory, she should be all right, physically, but…there's something wrong."

"And what's that?"

"I…I'm not sure just yet," Mettaton said. That wasn't completely true. Theories that weren't his were unconsciously slipping into his active mind, but he didn't want to say anything just yet until he was sure, for if he was right…he didn't have much to go on with it.

Instead, he shifted his gaze to the human, quietly scanning them instead. "Aside from the obvious, I think Frisk is all right. Any of their wounds are already being tended to by magic…"

"But what in tarnation even happened to them…?"

"…what happened is that monster kind just got to prove a theory—and a few more than what they want."

"Wait—what do you mean…?" Gerson drifted off as he realized. "You don't really think…?"

Upstairs, Napstablook was lying on the floor, staring mindlessly at the ceiling, silent as they rested. They eventually heard two sets of running feet, and the lab doors opened to show Dogamy and Grillby rushing in, with Dogamy panting heavily. Due to the boat being taken by Gerson and Mettaton, Dogamy had to take Grillby the long way, and while he didn't have to carry the elemental far, it had been taxing all the same.

Grillby looked around in a panic, his flames dancing wildly on him as he whipped around, searching desperately and then jerked his head to Napstablook as they rose up tiredly. "Where are they!?" he demanded.

"Mettaton and Gerson took them downstairs," Napstablook said tiredly. "…I don't think you should follow after them right now…something's gone really weird with the two."

"But neither of them are doctors!" the elemental shouted—catching Dogamy off guard. The elemental was always soft spoken, and it was an alien idea for him to raise his voice like this.

"They know that…but oh no, we didn't have time to get one from the city…I'm sorry, but…I trust Mettaton. He downloaded everything off Alphys's computer, and she's a doctor…sort of…I'm sorry, that's not as comforting is it?"

Grillby slumped against the wall, burying his face in his hands with a groan. Dogamy rested a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be all right. Both of them had their wounds tended to, I'm sure we'll figure something out." However, he then glanced to Napstablook. "Are you all right? You look off…"

"I'm fine…" the ghost managed tiredly. "I just used up a lot of magic…if I rest; I'll be back to normal."

"Well, there's some good news," the canine stated quietly. All three jumped as a cell phone rang. The dog monster yelped, turning to the elemental as he shoved his hand into his inner coat pocket. The device had been kept safe in his waterproofed attire. He grabbed it, and picked it up.

"Hello?" he managed shakily, then he paused. "…Fiona?"

"Uncle Grillby!" she exclaimed. "Oh, you finally picked up—I was so worried!"

"Fiona—is there something wrong?"

"N—no, I just…I just started calling every day to see if you're all right…I guess there was no connection where you were."

"I'm sorry to worry you, Dear…but no. We just got back into the Underground."

"You're back!? Where are you—are you hurt—do you need anything!?"

"I'm all right—I'm in Hotlands right now, at the Lab. Two of us needed to go there right away…"

"Should I come over there?" Fiona asked.

"Well how long have we been gone, and what time is it now?"

"N—Nearly a week…and the lunch group just finished up so business is slow if you're worried about that…"

"A week…" he muttered. He gave a quiet hum. "If there are no others, then…that'd be wonderful, dear…"

"Right—I'll bring some food too…also, parents finally called. Bad reception, but I think they're finally coming back to civilization. I tried to explain what was going on, but…"

"No worries, dear…thank you for taking care of things while I was gone…" Talking to his niece was a wonderful relief, and it was getting his mind slightly off the current situation, which helped.

"No problem, Uncle Grillby. It was fairly easy, and everyone was patient with me…"

Grillby's flames seemed to soften. "That's good, Dear…" A shrill beeping from the phone caused the elemental to jerk it away, and then look at the screen. "Oh dear—Fiona, this is running out of batteries, I'll have to call you—" And it died. Grillby glared at it. "Piece of junk."

Dogamy chuckled. "At least it was still working."

"It's amazing they still work, if you think about it," Napstablook murmured as Grillby shrugged off his rain coat. "Considering everything that happened down there…"

Dogamy snorted. "No kidding," he said, before jerking his head toward the elevator. "It's coming back up," he stated, his keen hearing picking up on it.

Napstablook turned, quiet for a few moments. "…it's only Gerson," they stated. Sure enough, when the doors opened, only the turtle monster stepped out. He looked in surprise to the three pairs of eyes that greeted him, and then held a hand up so that they would keep quiet.

"Napstablook, your cousin wants you downstairs."

"Oh…I understand…" Instantly, the ghost vanished into the floor.

Gerson looked at the other two, and sighed. "Come along if you want to see them," he said, and without hesitation, the two followed him into the elevator. When it started down, Gerson looked to them. "They're stable for now. Frisk seems fine; I think they're just drained after that little show they put on. Muffet on the other hand…she's breathing—just enough to keep her alive though."

Grillby gave a quiet moan of worry, while Dogamy tried to assure him that she'd be fine. "Grillby, if she didn't die when she was given the wound initially, then I think she'll pull through."

Gerson gave a nod. "She'll make it through out of stubbornness if nothing else," he assured.

"Right…" the elemental managed softly. "Right."

Back in Snowdin, Fiona huffed as she placed food in packages. "Good grief, what a time for a battery to go dead," she muttered. "Couldn't have just stayed on a few more minutes…"

To her surprise, the door to Grillby's opened, despite the closed sign, and in entered Doggo, whining as he looked about. "Fiona?" he asked as he caught sight of her moving flames.

"Doggo, what is it—we're closed—"

"I'm sorry," he moaned, unable to see the sign for it. "I'm just—I was wondering if you somehow—somehow—got word from the group?" He started pacing. "I've been trying to call Dogamy for the past hour, but his phone won't even ring!" His ears drooped, and he looked like a kicked puppy as he glanced to her.

She gasped. "Wait—calm down, I've got good news!" She raced around the bar. "I just got through to Uncle Grillby a few minutes ago—his battery died—but he said they were at the lab in Hotlands!"

"They are—oh gods, I need to hurry over there—"

"Wait—if you're heading that way—can you take these with you?" A moment later, Doggo felt some packages in his hands. "It's food for the group, you'd get it there faster than me since all the water…"

"Yeah—sure—gotta go—bye!" With that, the canine was gone.

In the Underground labs, Gerson led the way. Due to power being restored, the halls were lit, and the air was clean, removing the eeriness that it used to carry. Though tired, the turtle quickly led the two onwards, swiftly taking a left. They were soon led to a room with what looked like operation tables. "We had to run around and get some things out of storage," Gerson explained. "At least the walking calculator knows what he's doing."

"Walking calculator?" Mettaton questioned distractedly. He was beside Muffet, placing what looked like an oxygen mask over her face. "Hardly…" he said as his cousin hovered beside Frisk, who was asleep on another operation table. The ghost was quiet as they draped a blanket over the child who had curled into a tight ball.

The spider monster was motionless aside from the slight rise and falls of her chest, and hadn't so much as twitched ever since they had brought her out of the Abyss. She functioned only enough to keep herself alive—if barely that.

"How…is she?" Grillby asked hesitantly.

Mettaton didn't say anything at first, with his eyes dimmed. Then, they lit back up as he took another contraption, something akin to an IV drip filled with a purple liquid substance. When he slid the syringe into her arm, he finally looked up. "Well, had her wound not been tended to right away, she would have been dead."

His eyes glowed faintly as he scanned her over again. "She's breathing fine now—and with this—" He motioned to the substance. "She'll stay sustained. Physically, she'll be fine."

Dogamy frowned. "What do you mean by just physically?"

The cousins looked at each other quietly. "Well…" Mettaton started. "Uh…let's start with explaining what we found out about Frisk…" The robot moved around to where the child was, and drew back the blanket. "Now we can see the obvious differences—though remember their eyes changed as well."

"What even…?" Grillby asked, trying to comprehend it.

"Well," Mettaton murmured. "A theory would be that down in the Abyss, Frisk absorbed souls near them as a defense mechanism. That's what I would say, due to how Blooky and I can see..."

"There's eight monster souls in Frisk," Napstablook said.

"Eight?" Gerson asked. "How did they absorb eight? I mean, it's just rumors that humans can absorb them in the first place."

"Well, they aren't rumors anymore," the robot stated firmly. "Frisk has obviously done it, though they absorbed more than just boss monster souls. Six of them are normal. Whether it's natural or just something that came from being in the Abyss, I can't say for certain, but, upon absorbing the souls, they've gained traits from those they took, as well as their magic types if what we saw was anything to go on."

"Then, what about Miss. Muffet?" Grillby asked in concern.

"Perhaps you should count the amount of limbs the child now has. Four arms, not two."

Dogamy stiffened. "You're saying that the child absorbed…?"

"Yes."

Grillby's flames grew suddenly. "You're telling me they absorbed Muffet's soul!?" He pointed to the spider monster. "Then how is her body still there!?"

"Grillby, calm down," Dogamy said, grabbing the elemental.

Mettaton raised his hands in surrender. "True, our bodies don't last when we die. She should have crumbled. However…there's a human soul within her—I think that's what's keeping her form together."

"There's a what!?" the other three exclaimed.

"A human soul," Napstablook clarified. "…I'm sorry, but we don't know who's. It's red, but…there's something wrong with it…"

"What is it then?" Grillby asked, his flames crackling quietly.

Mettaton sighed. "This soul is nearly broken clean in two, it's being held together by a small thread. Whatever this soul went through was utter torment, and anything could cause it to finish breaking. However—at the same time, it's fragility is probably what's keeping her form stable."

Napstablook nodded. "Any stronger, and she might have started melting like an Amalgamate."

Grillby sighed slowly. "…so…Miss. Muffet's soul is with Frisk…"

"Correct," Mettaton confirmed.

"And…there's a human soul keeping her physical form alive…somehow."

"Exactly."

Grillby slumped back against the wall, covering his eyes with one hand. Dogamy's ears drooped. "Are you going to be all right?"

"…I'm not sure, to be honest."

"What everyone needs right now, is rest," the robot stated firmly. "This is enough to take in, and we have to explain this all again when Frisk wakes up…and we have to tread carefully, as we don't know how this…fusion thing of theirs works. Frisk may not be in charge anymore, they could all be separate minds—or a completely new state of being for all we know. We have to be careful with them."

"He's right," Gerson stated. "We're all physically drained—and some us emotionally. The best we can do now is to get some rest, and come back to this with clear minds. We do no good being stressed out. For now, let's just be happy that these two are still alive. We'll try to sort things out again when Frisk wakes up."

Dogamy nodded. "Gerson has a point. Come on, Grillby. Let's get you home."

"What about them…?" he asked quietly.

Napstablook gave a sound of assurance. "Don't worry, Mettaton and I will look after them…we don't need sleep anyways…so long as I refill his batteries, he's okay."

Gerson nodded. "Then we should get a move on—"

"Dogamy!" a voice called. The group jerked in surprise to another voice in the lab. Dogamy frowned, ears rising.

"Was that…?"

"Dogamy!"

The canine moved forward. "Doggo!?" he called back. He heard thumps and clangs until the poor canine came into sight, a hand over his muzzle. He had likely rammed into the walls, trying to follow Dogamy's scent.

"There you are! Gods!" He tossed the food to Gerson, who managed to catch it in time. He grabbed the canine's wrist. "Come on, we need to go!" he said, yanking him forward. "NOW!"

"Doggo—what's wrong!?"

"What's wrong!?" the husky snapped. "What's wrong is that your pups decided to come early, so Dogaressa's about to give birth, and if you don't get over there now, she's going to have all our hides!"

Dogamy's eyes widened. "The pups…now!?"

"Yes now!"

With that, Doggo yanked him off, though once Dogamy snapped out of it; he led the way for the poor canine. The rest of the group looked to each other uncertainly. "Um…" Napstablook mumbled.

"What should we do?" Mettaton murmured.

"Should we follow…?" Grillby asked hesitantly.

"Nah," Gerson said, as he offered the food out. "Dog monsters can handle themselves fine with newborns—plus, with Dogaressa expecting for some time, there probably is a doctor on standby. Let's just stay out of the way…this is a moment for the family. Not us."


	42. It's Our Moment

"Would you slow down!?" Dogamy exclaimed as he was yanked into Snowdin. "I'm going to fall!"

"I have a pelt—I have a hide—I'd like to keep them!" the other canine yelled. "Do you have any idea how terrifying your wife is?"

"Oh, I think I have an idea…"

"She made it very clear to bring you—and if you don't get there before the pups, I'm dust!"

Dogamy shook his head. "Don't you think you might be exaggerating ever so slightly…?"

Doggo slid to a stop, and grabbed Dogamy's shoulders, looking at him straight on. "I had to take care of her. By myself. For the past week." He shook his head. "I'm not exaggerating; please don't ever make me do that again."

"But, I didn't…"

"EVER! I'm at the end of my rope!"

"Doggo—" He yelped as he got dragged off again toward the North of town, where there were a cluster of homes between the main village and the river.

"She's terrifying, she's been making a lot of threats, and she just got worse and worse because you weren't here, and you couldn't answer the phone—though that might have been a good thing considering how many times she tried to call you."

The two weaved between houses. "The point of this is—remind me to NEVER get married! Or…if I do get married, remind me to never have pups. Though—if I have pups, remind to have an excuse to not be around when the woman gets in a mood! Like you did! That was smart!"

"That was coincidence, I didn't plan to leave!"

"Oh, you have no idea what you missed. It's dangerous to be near your wife! You should be aware of that!"

Dogamy gave a snort, panting a little. "I think I do, considering that she's made a hobby out of being dangerous."

"What did you see in her again?"

"…I'll wait until you're mentally stable before we continue this conversation."

"Well excuse me for not having help to keep me sane and safe!"

"What did she even do?"

"This is Dogaressa we're talking about—what do you think she did?"

"Doggo, there's far too many things she could have done—at least narrow it down for me."

"How about I had to confiscate her axe, that's what she did!"

Dogamy groaned, running a hand along his face. "Honestly, both of you…" He shook his head. "I'll talk to her after this is all over, and see what that was all about."

"Please…?" Doggo whined.

Dogamy nodded as they finally came to the front door of a home, both panting. "Okay," the husky managed. "Here's the plan. You go in. The rest of us stay out here and look out for intruders…because it's safer."

The other canine rolled his eyes. "And I thought Mettaton was a drama King…"

"You weren't living with your wife for the past week."

Dogamy snorted. "She probably wouldn't have been a nightmare to you if that had been the case."

"Yeah, well lucky me. Anyways, get in there." Doggo shoved him in the general direction of the door, and then went to lean against the wall of the house, grabbing a dog treat as he did so.

Dogamy watched him briefly as he moved to the door, and then opened it, ears rising a little as he heard Dogaressa. His eyes quickly took everything as he entered, spotting Lesser Dog and Greater Dog by the bed, and the Amalgamate looming over all of them, trying to see Dogaressa as a Snowdrake tended to her.

"D…Dogaressa?" he managed, swiftly coming over, the other canines stepping away from the bed as he came, placing his hands over one of hers that had been fisting the blankets tightly.

She looked up at him with a pained grunt, but relief flooded into her eyes. "Dogamy!" she managed with a pained yelp. "You said you'd be back before the pups were born!"

"And he is," the Snowdrake said. "If barely."

Dogamy glanced to the bird monster. "How is she…?"

"Gone into labor, she's fine so far," he stated simply. Then he looked at the other canines. "All right, all of you. Shoo." There were wines and whimpers of protest. "Oh, no—no—no, don't you give me that. Out you go, the less of you in here, the better off we'll all be."

Dogamy dead-panned at the Amalgamate that had rolled onto its back to show its stomach in submission. "The lot of you," Dogamy stated firmly. "Out." With that, the Amalgamate dragged itself out of the house after the other two.

The Snowdrake shook his head at the display as Dogaressa grabbed her husband's hand tight. He winced, the feeling in his fingers swiftly vanishing. The bird monster moved around the bed, his feathers going over her head. "Just relax," the bird soothed. "Everything's going all right."

"I'm blaming Dogamy for all of this," she hissed.

The bird made a sound of amusement. "They always blame their partner, even when they have fifty percent of the blame."

Dogamy shook his head. "Even if it was one hundred percent her fault, she'd still blame me somehow."

"Oh, when I can stand up again—"Dogaressa yelped, causing Dogamy to jerk, before a little whimper of concern came out of him, and he rested his head against hers.

"It'll be all right, dear," he murmured. "Just relax."

"You try relaxing," she managed. He shook his head in slight exasperation as she tiredly looked at him, before her eyes widened as a sound of concern escaped her. She reached up shakily, petting his cheek where he had been hit by the beast monster. "Wh—what happened to you?"

"Nothing, it's just a scratch."

"I told you not to get hurt!"

"I wasn't trying to!"

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to clobber you—"

"But that defeats the purpose of me already being hurt—"

"I don't care!"

Dogamy sighed. "I pray the pups distract you…though I think right now you're just yelling at me to yell at me."

"…shut up."

The Snowdrake sighed, shaking his head in amusement and exasperation. "Would both of you calm down…"

A couple of hours later, Dogaressa breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath, her hand still clenching Dogamy's, and in her pain, he had several small scratches on the back of his hand that he had ignored. "Dogaressa…?" he questioned softly, leaning closer. "H…how are you feeling?"

"…I hate you right now."

He chuckled, and licked her forehead. "I know, dear. This is all my fault. What was I thinking?" he teased.

"I'm trying to figure out if you were thinking at all."

Dogamy shook his head, and looked across the house to the room where the Snowdrake had taken the pups to give them their first bath. The parents could pick up on their whimpers and cries of dismay, obviously not appreciating it, and while they whined at their pups' displeasure, they stayed put, waiting, knowing it needed to be done.

Besides, Dogaressa was too exhausted to get over there, but, to Dogamy's relief, she finally released his hand. He took it back, opening and closing it, trying to get some feeling back into it. Dogaressa groaned quietly, slowly adjusting herself so that she was somewhat propped onto her side, adjusting the gown she had worn.

Then she reached up, cupping his injured face gently. "What happened?" she asked in concern.

"We got attacked, but it's…all right for now." He gave a little smirk. "You should have seen the other guy."

"I oughta slap you…"

"But you won't."

"Hmph."

"I love you too, Dogaressa," he said with a chuckle.

She grumbled, but licked his muzzle anyways. "You're just too cute for your own good," she muttered softly. "But still, you need to tell me," she said with concern. "I thought you weren't going to make it—or—"

"Shh," he soothed. "I'm here now. And I promise, I'll tell you everything, but not today." He cupped her face gently, leaning close. "We're going to see our pups in just a few minutes, dear. This…is going to be a special moment. It's our moment. We'll worry about everything else later, all right?"

She was quiet, but slowly smiled, nuzzling him. "I think I can manage that," she murmured gently to him.

"Good." He gently stroked her cheek, and then gave a breathy laugh. "Oh gods…they're just in the other room." His tail began to wag as he looked back over his shoulder expectantly and then back to his wife. "This is killing me."

"Oh, the wait is killing you? You should have been me for the past two hours," she stated with a slight hint of mirth in her voice.

"Dogaressa," he started with a laugh.

Before he could continue though, the door opened, and the two jerked their heads up, ears rising. The Snowdrake stepped out with two baskets, and chuckled. "Was I hearing a lover's quarrel?" he teased as he came over, the two instantly trying to peer into the baskets that he gently set on the bed, far from the edge, but close to the parents.

The Snowdrake gave a satisfied sound. "You had quite the large litter; five pups," he informed them. "Two girls," he said, motioning to one basket. "And three boys," he said as he motioned to the other.

"Five…" Dogamy managed numbly. They knew they were going to have a decent litter…but five…

Dogaressa poked her head into the girls' basket, while the Snowdrake stepped back. "I believe my assistance is no longer needed. They all seem in good health, but one of the girls is quite small compared to the rest. It was to be expected however, considering the size of the litter. Keep an eye on her, and she should be fine."

Dogamy nodded. "Thank you for everything."

The doctor dipped his head, adjusting his spectacles. "I'll let your family know that all is well…should I tell them to hold off for a bit?"

"At least a quarter of an hour?" Dogamy asked.

"Hmm, should charge a fee for that," he joked. Then, he moved outside, leaving the parents alone with their newborns.

Dogamy sniffed at the boys' basket, and then reached in, drawing the baby blue blanket back to reveal them, smiling quietly. They were mostly a bundle of white each, but they all had some form of black markings, and all of them had floppy ears. "Shall we set to naming the boys first?"

Dogaressa nodded. "It'll give our littlest one time to rest after that 'horrid' bath."

Dogamy snorted softly, and then gently picked up one of the boys. He was all white, except for a black mask like marking over his eyes, connecting over his muzzle. "And what of this little rascal?"

She shook her head with a smile, looking him over, and instantly decided. "Lupus. That's our Lupus." Dogamy nodded slowly, a sad smile on his face. Dogaressa's parents died when she was very young, and were not even part of the Amalgamate, and she had made it clear that she wanted to name a boy and girl after them.

"Lupus it is then," he murmured with a chuckle. He nuzzled the boy, licking his head, with Dogaressa following suit the moment the father pulled back. Dogamy gently set him down, and took the next.

This one's ears and tail were tipped black, but otherwise, he was white. Dogaressa giggled. "Now that's a cutie. What do you think, Dogamy? I'll let you name this one."

Dogamy smiled. "I'm thinking…Dogmatix."

"Perfect," she said, before licking the little one's head. Dogamy gave a rumbling sound of amusement, nuzzling the pup, before trading him for the last boy.

Like the others, he was mostly white, but his little paws were jet black. He wiggled around, flailing his limbs, causing Dogamy to chuckle. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Where ever he wants, that's where," Dogaressa said, watching with a smile, before leaning forward, letting one of the black paws find her muzzle. The pup gave a squeaky bark, and she made an endearing sound as she fawned over him. "Well, Dogamy…?"

"He's certainly trying to be fierce…what do you think of Beowulf?"

"Oh?" she asked in surprise, but smiled. "I think that's perfect. He'd hate if he got a cute name…despite how adorable he is. Beowulf it is."

Dogamy nuzzled the little one, licking his head as the child yipped quietly, and was put back in the basket with his brothers. "Now for the girls…" Dogaressa gently pulled the other basket over, uncovering the pups and raising one out. She was mostly white, but it looked like someone had spilled black ink on her head, and let it flow down her fur.

The top of her head was nearly all black, and the color ran down the outside of her ears, some of her neck, and down the center of her face, fading away into a thin stripe, and then vanishing all together at the start of her muzzle. Dogaressa smiled, nuzzling her. "I'll let you name the first girl," she assured her husband.

Dogamy smiled, leaning close, taking in her scent, as he had also done with the boys. "…Dogtanian?" he questioned.

"I like it," she assured, licking the little one's head, and gently placing her back. Then, she picked out the final pup. She was smaller than all the others, if only slightly. However, she whimpered, tucking herself into a tight ball of white fur, without a single splotch of black upon her, unlike her siblings.

Dogaressa smiled faintly. "…Canis," she stated simply, naming the little one after her mother. "You, little sweetie, are Canis." The little one whimpered, and the mother soothed her, nuzzling her. "It's okay, we're here," she cooed.

Dogamy watched with a little bit of a smirk, finding it somewhat odd to see Dogaressa already baby talking with their little pups. However, the others soon chimed in with their whining. Dogamy chuckled sheepishly. "Looks like they want to be fed."

"So they do." She handed him Canis, and with a grunt, she sat up fully, settling comfortably with an extra huff.

No sooner did she finish feeding the last of the pups, there was a soft knock, and the door opened, with Doggo poking his head in, with Greater Dog, Endogeny, and then Lesser Dog poking their heads above his. Lesser Dog, however, had stretched out his neck so that he was the highest head. "Dogamy…is it safe?"

"Regardless of which way you mean that…yes, it's safe." The canines still tiptoed in, as if the slightest creak of the wood would startle the currently deaf children awake, and send them screaming. Doggo came up closest, smiling, wagging his tail happily.

"Oh, I just love pups," he managed, sounding like an excited child talking about something they really cared for. "They're always wiggling, and squirming, so I can always see them." He lowered his head down, sniffing at the boys while the parents introduced the pups by name.

"So brother," Dogamy said as he held the little Canis, while Dogaressa was letting Dogmatix decide if he wanted any more milk. "What do you think their eye colors will be?"

"Hey, I can't guarantee eye color. Only magic type," Doggo said. He was inflicted with Kinetic Vision, only able to see things that moved, and what he did see was the movement of magic—thus making it difficult to detect moving objects, but not impossible. While he was blind to most, he could see the colors of magic when they moved in his vision…but they were the only colors he knew in his dark world.

"Anyways…this one," he said, pointing at Beowulf. "And this one…" Doggo motioned to Dogtanian. "They have an orange aura when they move. So they might have orange eyes. The rest are all Aqua."

"I see," Dogamy said with a smile as Lesser and Greater Dog poked their heads into the baskets. Endogeny used its melting form to its advantage, coming onto the head of the bed, trying to see Canis and Dogmatix.

It leaned close, sniffing at them both, however, it got too close, and the pups began to cry. It yanked back with a whimper, while the parents tried to soothe them. Doggo snickered at the sight. "I think we've found the Daddy's Girl and the Mama's Boy."

Dogamy rolled his eyes. "They'll know better eventually," he assured to the Amalgamate, as he gently drew his wife close, as well as the pups, closing his eyes with a sigh of content.


	43. Take the Role

Down in the lower labs, Mettaton's eyes dimmed from a bright glow as he scanned the two one last time, while Napstablook and Gerson ate the food that was brought down, with Napstablook looking better after each and every bite.

Grillby was quiet, not even touching his food, his gaze going to Muffet. She hadn't been moving, aside from the shaky rise and fall from her chest as she breathed. Other than that, she was motionless, barely clinging to a living status.

Gerson sighed, reflecting on the damage done to their kingdom. "You know…we need to figure out what we're going to do…"

Mettaton glanced up to the turtle. "What do you mean by that?"

"Everything. Our Kingdom is stumbling around headless right now. We lost our King and Queen, Captain—and while Alphys technically wasn't our scientist anymore…"

"We didn't exactly have a replacement jumping around in the crowd," Mettaton finished. "And while Sans and Papyrus were merely sentries, that's still a big blow on leadership to our kingdom."

"Oh…" Napstablook mumbled. "That's really bad…what are we going to do…?"

"I don't know yet," Gerson said. "That fully depends on Frisk here." The monsters glanced to the unconscious fusion of human and monster. "If they're in there, and conscious, that would help a little, but even still…they're all stuck where Frisk is stuck. I don't know if Frisk can undo this and even if they can…"

"We go back to square one," Mettaton stated simply. "And right now, I don't want any poor soul getting stuck in the Abyss."

Napstablook shuddered at the idea. "That would be really bad…I don't think those rocks would have really killed…"

"Probably not," Gerson agreed. "However, it does buy us time. As far as we know, that's the only exit, and now it's chock full of boulders. We should be all right in that aspect."

"True," Mettaton said. "The question is where do we go from here?"

"Um…" Napstablook mumbled, and the others looked to the little ghost. They paused, blinking. "Oh, wait; you want me to actually…say something? I'm sorry; it's probably not a good idea…"

Gerson snorted. "It's got to be better than 'jump into the Abyss'," he said, motioning to the child.

"Um…" Napstablook practically disappeared, becoming so transparent, that Gerson had to squint in order to see them, straining his eyes. "Well…until we can figure things out…erm…shouldn't Mettaton be doing the Royal Scientist stuff?"

The others looked at the ghost in confusion, and they became flustered. "Well—I mean—wouldn't Mettaton be the best one at it? If he needs to know something, he just has to download it—he did that when we came down. That means, he's got everything Alphys knows in her hard drives, and as a machine…precision is kind of his thing…"

"Huh…" the turtle murmured. "You've got a point, but Mettaton…" He looked up at the robot. "I'll tell you straight and simple. You say yes, and you're not going to be finding yourself with any real free time until this whole mess gets straightened out." Gerson didn't know too much about the robot, but he did know that Mettaton could not hold onto a life in entertainment, and as a temporary scientist.

The robot nodded, quiet for several long moments, before drawing his hair back, revealing the other side of his face, which seemed to be more metal and obviously machine than the other half. "The kingdom needs this right now—not an entertainer." He closed his hands tight, thinking over everything. His soul didn't quite want this—yes, he wanted to help, but…at the moment, he had to push his dream aside for who knew how long.

He slowly released his hands, his mind making the calculations, and his soul reluctantly siding with them. It was the best option…. "I will take the role," he stated simply. "Until we find someone else—whenever that may be."

Gerson nodded. "Thank you, that's one less thing to worry about right now…"

"Uncle Grillby!" The fire elemental jerked his head up, to hear a confused voice echoing through the halls.

"Fiona?" he called, standing up, and going to the entrance of the room, his flames brightening vastly. "Fiona!?"

Finally, the green flamed elemental came into sight, easily spotting him and rushing forward, nearly tackling him down. "Uncle Grillby!"

Instantly, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, their flames dancing. "Fiona, what are you doing down here?" he asked gently, habitually petting her back as he held her.

"Looking for you, what did you think I was doing?" she grumbled. "I didn't get to see you for a whole week—I wasn't going to wait any longer."

Grillby's flames dimmed slightly as he looked at her, pulling her back slightly, resting his hand on her head, their flames entwining, the colors changing whenever they were exchanged. Fire elementals had that ability, to give their flames to one another. It was useful if one had been partially extinguished, as it could save their lives. Often though, trading flames was simply a sign of affection, and one that was often done between Grillby and his niece.

Fiona looked him up and down. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he assured. "Just a little tired."

"Did you eat…?" He paused, and she looked around him, noticing the food was left on his chair. She huffed and dragged him over, grabbing the food and shoving him down into it, before holding it out to him. "You would feel better if you eat, come on…please?"

He nodded quietly, and to her relief, he did begin to eat. Fiona was quiet for a few moments, staying close to him as she looked around, feeling a little awkward. She spotted the child, looking at them in confusion, but as her gaze found Muffet, she seemed to shrink back, her flames dimming.

Gerson smiled gently. "It's all right," he said quietly. "They're both stable, there's nothing to worry about." He still chuckled however, as Fiona clung to her Uncle, though she seemed slightly relieved. "So this is the niece we've been hearing about."

There was a brief bit of pink in her flames. "Uncle Grillby," she whined.

He looked up innocently. "What?"

"You told them stories…"

"I didn't tell them stories per say…at least, not him. He just overheard other conversations."

"I couldn't help that," Gerson said. "We were on an island...and a small one at that."

"I don't care. You still told them," she mumbled.

The two elementals suddenly raised their heads, turning to the doorway a moment before Gerson and Mettaton realized there were two more monsters. "And what has he been telling them?" Somehow, two more fire elementals had found their way down there. A man and a woman. The gentleman was of yellow flames, while the wife had blue instead.

Fiona gasped, and rushed over. "Mom! Dad!" They took her into their embrace, while Grillby stared silently, watching the exchange. They hugged for a few moments, before the father looked up.

"Grillby…"

"Hello Emberno," Grillby stated slowly. Then, he turned his gaze. "Calida…I see you finally dragged yourselves back to a cell phone reception."

The brother shook his head. "Couldn't be helped. The beast monster we were tracking got a lot farther than anticipated, and then it took a while to corner it. No worries now, however."

Gerson snorted. "Hmph, if you wanted beast monsters, you should have been with us a few hours ago."

Calida's blue flames flickered. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Grillby didn't offer a response, so Mettaton did as he adjusted something by Muffet. "Oh, that just about an hour ago, we were fighting a ridiculous swarm of them…no biggie."

"A swarm!?" the other three elementals exclaimed, with Fiona looking to her uncle in alarm. "Is everyone—"

"Everyone who went in got back out…" Napstablook stated quietly. "There's injuries, but…"

"Is the swarm…dealt with?" Emberno asked.

"Define dealt with," Grillby replied.

Gerson gave a shrug. "They might have survived that cave in, but if they did, you two hunters can't do anything about it. The cave in separated them from us."

Mettaton nodded. "And if they could get out, I think we'd be hearing about it by now with all things considered."

The turtle gave a grunt. "However…how did you two know to come here to look for your daughter?"

Calida was the one that replied. "Fiona called us on her way here. We decided that's where we could meet up. However, things have been quite hectic…has something happened while we were gone…?"

Grillby looked to Fiona. "You…didn't tell them?"

"No, I was more worried about finding you…"

"Hoo boy," Gerson muttered. "Who wants to be the bearer of bad news?"

"Oh no…" Napstablook moaned, before vanishing to hide away. After quite some hesitation, the group slowly explained the events the rest of the kingdom had endured while they were gone.

Flames dimmed, and then began to dance wildly. "Oh gods…" Emberno managed. "All of them are…"

Calida looked up in a slight panic. "We have to help, Emberno, that's why the guard was running about…"

He nodded, and the two were already beginning to move. Grillby stood abruptly, and Gerson had a feeling he knew what was coming. "Eh, dear?" he called to the young elemental. She looked up in confusion, and he gently beckoned her over. "Do me a favor, will ya? Can you go back to the upper lab? There may be others looking for us who haven't heard where we all went, and I doubt they'll check down here…"

"Um—sure," Fiona managed, before darting out ahead of her parents. As the elemental couple took their leave, Grillby went after them, stopping them at the vending machine. At first, he didn't say anything, wanting to make sure his niece had enough time to at least get into the elevator.

"Is…something wrong, Grillby?" Emberno asked.

"Do not concern yourselves with the rest of the kingdom right now," Grillby stated plainly. "Go up there, and spend some time with your daughter."

Calida's flames flickered. "But the kingdom—"

"Will be fine," Grillby said, his flames starting to snap and crackle. "They were managing just fine while you were on your beast hunt. They can go a few more days without you pitching in."

"What are you implying?" Emberno questioned.

"I'm implying that I shouldn't know Fiona better than her own mother and father."

Calida stepped back, her flames sparking. "What do you mean by that!?" she demanded.

"What do you think I mean?" Grillby asked, a faint trace of blue briefly dancing among his flames.

"Grillby," Emberno started, his tone changing. "The kingdom is in disarray, and you're telling us to do nothing?"

"I'm not telling you to do nothing!" he snapped, stepping forward as his flames grew. "I'm telling you to spend some time with your daughter! I have grown weary and tired of this! I've hosted more than half of her birthdays because you two were always out on a hunt—and don't you dare give me the 'important business' garbage!"

He removed his glasses, his eyes completely white and narrowed slits. "Don't think I don't understand what you do, but for the gods' sake, spend some time with your own daughter! I'm tired of you coming back for a day—just a day—and going off again! Your daughter was alone on her birthday—completely overshadowed by the barrier breaking—and now this whole mess."

"She's a good girl, and a tolerant one, but I swear, if you two don't get your act together with her, you're going to regret it. The bloody kingdom can wait, but you two need to go upstairs, and spend some time with Fiona!" He pointed at them, the blue flames in his form becoming more obvious. "She has more than earned it!" Grillby has always wanted to confront them over this.

"Calida, go on ahead," Emberno said stiffly. She gave a grunt of acknowledgment, and then left, while Emberno approached his brother. "I don't know what's got you so riled, but what Calida and I do is none of your business."

"Maybe not, but what you do with my niece is," Grillby replied with agitation. "I'm not watching you come back to just leave her alone again." He stepped close, their flames snapping loudly. "I don't care what you think of me, but I'd recommend…" A sliver of white appeared in his flames. "That you follow your wife; go find your daughter…" There was a loud crackle. "And spend some time with her after all the time you've been gone."

Emberno's eyes narrowed, before he whipped around, and stormed out, the room seemingly colder, as if he had taken the heat with him as he left. Grillby watched, his flames dancing wildly as he stood there, before whirling around, retreating, as his flames slowly went down, and his light went dim as he finally began to calm himself.

The other three looked at him worriedly as he came back in, and sat down in his chair, swiftly covering his face with his empty hand as the other clutched his glasses. He groaned, not even looking up. "Someone remind me to call my brother tomorrow morning," he managed, realizing he had gone quite farther than intended.

"Noted," Mettaton replied. "Would you like that reminder at nine o clock sharp?"

Gerson gave a snort. "That's one way to get a reminder." With Mettaton, there was no way it could be forgotten.

"Oh…" Napstablook mumbled, floating over to Grillby. "Um…will…will you be all right? You all got kind of loud…"

Grillby nodded with a sigh. "I'll be fine," he managed. "Just…I was just at the end of my rope, and they were just going to leave her behind…gods, I haven't blown up like that for years, I apologize for my behavior…"

"After what we got dragged through today," Gerson muttered. "I think you had every right to finally blow up like that."

"On the bright side, it didn't turn into a fight," Mettaton pointed out.

"That would have been awful…" Napstablook mumbled.

"But I see where you're coming from," Gerson said. "It sounds like you've been raising Fiona for the most part."

"For the most part?" Grillby asked, and then shook his head with an odd laugh. "For the most part? Gods, that's putting it lightly. I might as well have been the one that raised her with the way things went."

Mettaton shook his head. "My, my, I hope you're exaggerating a little?"

"I wish, but you've heard what I've said now, and down in the Abyss…I was the one that took care of her when they went on hunts…which was nearly all the time."

Gerson sighed. "No wonder you were so riled at this point. With that slowly building up, and then after today…well…"

"Again, I apologize…and I thank you for your patience and…major tolerance."

Mettaton looked between the other monsters. "There are beds down the other hallway," he murmured. "Perhaps all of you should get some rest."

Grillby jerked his head up. "But, Miss. Muffet—"

"Will be fine. I can watch over them, all right? I don't need sleep after all. You and Gerson on the other hand…"

"Calculator's got a point," Gerson said as he slowly stood. "We've been through a lot, and we're no good to anyone if we're just going to be dead on our feet."

"I…suppose you're right," Grillby reluctantly admitted as he rose, and the two headed out.

Napstablook glanced over to the robot. "Oh…is there anything else I can do, Mettaton?"

"I could use another battery…"

"Okay, I'll get it!" With that, the two tired monsters went to get some sleep, while Napstablook got another battery to keep Mettaton going.


	44. Fifty and a Half

Frisk groaned quietly in the blackness of their mind, their form the way it was supposed to be. They gave a grunt as they rolled onto their stomach, not wanting to move, but knew that they must. A pair of slim arms came around them, helping them to their feet. "Dearie…?" a tired female voice asked.

The human looked up to see Muffet blinking tiredly at them. "Are you all right?" They nodded slowly, as she fully stood, a look of relief coming to her face. "That's good to hear," she said as they looked around in the darkness, unable to make anything out of it. They frowned. Were they in the Abyss…?

Frisk couldn't remember things clearly in the moment. They remembered…fighting…the dragon, and then…everything else was blurry and hard to put together. "Frisk?" several familiar voices called. They gasped, and looked up, staring. Muffet giggled, stepping back as a smile split across their face.

Up ahead, were the others: the brothers, Undyne, Alphys, and the King and Queen. The child gave a loud squeal, and ran for them. They crashed into Sans, hugging him, and then into Alphys, before darting around, trying to somehow hug them all at once, much to their amusement, but Frisk just couldn't decide! They were all here!

Sans grabbed them by the scruff of their sweater as they darted past him again, and raised them into the air, chuckling as their legs kept moving. "Easy there, buddy. Slow down. I got a better idea." They slowly came to a stop, dangling in his grasp, before slowly looking up.

The skeleton was smiling, and then glanced up. "Asgore, Tori…" He used his blue magic, bringing Frisk into Toriel's arms. She smiled, nuzzling them as Asgore came close, a rumble of affection escaping him as he did so. "Undyne, Papyrus, try to squeeze your way in somewhere."

Undyne frowned. "Wait, we're doing this group—" She gave a grunt as Asgore grabbed her and yanked her over. She sighed. "Fine." Then, she reluctantly consented, turning it into an odd three way sandwich hug, before Papyrus found a spot on the opposite side of Undyne, with Frisk giggling

Alphys looked around nervously, unsure of what she was supposed to do, until she gasped as Sans lifted her up, and then placed her on Undyne and Asgore's shoulders so that she could get into the embrace, while he teleported, getting onto his brother's shoulders, and managing to get a hand on Frisk, who giggled, enjoyed the odd, but workable group embrace.

Muffet watched, smiling, putting her right hands on her hip. It was a sweet interaction, and she enjoyed seeing life come back into the poor child. She paused, looking around, swearing she could have seen…but there was no one. She shook her head, glancing back to the child, who was giggling as they turned in the hold they were in, reaching and grabbing at each of the monsters.

There were gentle murmurs, nuzzles, and firm embraces to assure the child that they had made it. Things would be better eventually…right…? The embrace seemed to last forever, and while it lasted quite some time, it couldn't have ever been enough for the child.

Sans sighed, eyes closed, but the smile remaining all the same. "Hey Kid…" he mumbled as he felt them grab at his hand, snuggling into it. He chuckled. "Kid…" He breathed out. "I know you won't like me saying this but…you have to wake up."

They paused, staring at him in confusion. "Time to wake up…"

He started to sound distant. "Wake up, kiddo."

"Wake up!"

Frisk jerked up with a gasp, a hand instantly going to their head. They gritted their teeth, taking a few shaky breaths, before looking around. They had been covered in a blanket, but they only focused on the nearest surroundings. The rest of the room could wait since their head was pounding…

They took note of the extra blanket that had been placed under them, but that the 'bed' was otherwise made of metal. They scooted to the edge, and then slipped down. The drop didn't surprise them, but the landing caught them off guard. Cold jolted through their feet, and their sense of balance was off in more ways than one.

With a soft gasp, they fell with a grunt. Surprise, and stunned confusion was racing through their mind, and they clutched their head, waiting for the pain to subside. Finally, the child rolled over onto hands and knees. All right, if they could just get up and try again…they brought their hands down, and that was when it clicked in their mind that things weren't quite right.

Uncertain murmurs were faintly heard in Frisk's mind. The child rested on their knees, slowly raising their hands, staring wide-eyed at the gaping holes in their palms. They hesitantly took one hand, stroking the rim of the hole, sticking their fingers through one palm, staring, stunned.

That wasn't right…They clenched their hands, before reeling back to realize they didn't have two, but rather, four. The clamor in their mind was starting to get louder, memories coming into place. Frisk fell back again, yelping softly at the very uncomfortable landing. They turned, noticing the twitching tail. They scrambled, ending up under what had become their bed.

They finally noticed the white-furred feet, and then realized why they had felt so cold once they had touched the ground. While furred, the pads of the feet were not, and were sensitive to the cold floor. As they jerked their head back, they felt something else, and they raised their hands to feel something behind their ears.

The memories and some of the murmurs explained it to Frisk. Ear fins…They tried to get up, only for something to collide into them, and send them down. They clutched their head, and felt it; the base of the white horns that adorned their head. They couldn't see their dual colored eyes that snapped open.

Frisk crawled back out of their spot, voices becoming clearer as they shakily stood, their balance at first off, but as a voice became clear, it began to feel…oddly natural. They could hear Alphys, and soon enough, other murmurs. Frisk whined, confused. They remembered most of what happened, but…they didn't fully understand what it was. They were…fused…

As the others became clearer in their head, the anomalies in their form didn't feel alien. They felt natural, as if they had been there in the first place, instead of becoming new additions to their form within the last twenty four hours.

Their voices soothed and assured, though they seemed to have slightly panicked edges as well. It seemed all of them were just as alarmed at the situation, and while all were present, Frisk could sense that they were dominant mentally. While all of them understood the situation, they were still confused as to how it all worked. Everything down in the Abyss had been reflex and instinct, and now that they had a moment to think…it was all so strange.

"Kid…you're already up?" came Gerson's voice as he entered the room.

Frisk turned, just intending to nod, but then they clutched their head and throat as some of the others tried to reply on instinct, and their own voice was cut off. The unintentional clash of thoughts pounded in their skull, and they whimpered from the pain.

The turtle swiftly approached, kneeling, and gently grabbing the human's shoulders. "Easy, Frisk, you're all right," he said, drawing them close. Frisk shut their eyes tight, fully clutching their head. Slowly, everything settled as the others quieted, and now the only throbbing seemed to be at the base of their horns.

Eventually, they opened their dual-colored eyes again. Gerson was gently petting their head, and on an unknown instinct, they leaned into it, happiest when his hand neared the horns, making the slight throbbing go away. "There we go, how you feeling now, Neck-Warmer?" Gerson asked gently.

"F—go—gr—" They clutched their head again as others automatically tried to speak at the same time, with obvious conflicts. After everything died down again, Frisk settled on a thumb's up.

"Yeah…you're staying in bed." With a grunt, the turtle easily scooped them up, and got them back up where they had been originally. "How about we get you something to eat? What would you like?"

"Spaghetti." Frisk blinked rapidly in surprise. The word had been out before they even knew what had happened. Inwardly, Frisk started to hear quiet bickering over the choice. Frisk whined, clutching their head as they shook it, trying to find some peace.

Finally, a firmer voice rose above them all, and quieted the others, letting Frisk decide. The child breathed out shakily, and then looked up, and clarified that it was what they wanted. They wouldn't mind that after going so long on just food from Grillby's and Muffet's.

"All right, I'll see what I can do, Kid. You just stay put, all right? That walking calculator wants to run some scans on you still to figure out what's what…this whole…thing hasn't exactly happened before." The child nodded slowly in understanding as they looked down at their most obvious differences.

They started to take in more of their surroundings at this point, knowing where they were in Alphys's lab. They spotted the empty chair that Grillby had been using. Strange equipment that they had never seen before, yet oddly, knew the names to. Then, they saw the other occupant, and they jumped with an alarmed shriek, their lower arms wrapping around themselves as they stared in a panic.

Gerson instantly grabbed them so that they didn't fall or somehow hurt themselves. "Easy," he soothed. "It's all right—she's okay—she's okay, she's fine," he managed. "Her form is stable, she isn't going to crumble on us, all right?" Gerson wasn't sure how this fusion worked, and had to assume he was only talking to one, though in reality, all of the souls within heard him clearly.

It was Muffet that had unintentionally taking the reins out of alarm when she saw her body, but gentle coaxing from Toriel and Papyrus helped her ease up, and Frisk returned to control. Her body was all right…it would be fine…

It wasn't too long before Gerson had somehow managed to get them what they asked for. Frisk took the fork, quickly taking a bite, a hum of delight following, and it didn't take long for a voice to make itself known in their mind. _'See? I told you this would be the best for the human after everything they've been through!'_

' _Guess you're right, Pap,_ ' came Sans's voice. _Though we should think about how we're going to…_ _ **spaghetti**_ _out of this little mess._

Frisk dropped their fork, clutching their head at the loud protest, yelping softly.

 _'Sans!'_ Toriel scolded. _'Let's not rile him now. It seems we can cause Frisk discomfort. We need to be careful, for their sake.'_

 _'Her highness has a point,'_ Muffet managed quietly. _'It can't be easy having us…all in their…head…'_

 _'Though one can't imagine why,'_ came a slightly teasing remark from Asgore.

 _'Oh, come on, don't look at me,'_ Undyne grumbled.

 _'W—well, he has a point…_ Alphys managed. _You can be…loud sometimes…_

Frisk blinked, silently listening to them. It was…strange. All the voices were right in their head, they could sense them all, but…one was quiet, and seemingly not present to the others. Frisk frowned, tilting their head in confusion, and then quietly continued eating as the others mentally retreated from the forefront of their mind.

However, they paused as they sensed their health. They always knew how much they could handle, but, it was different now. There wasn't twenty health like there used to be. No, Frisk felt they could take more damage than that. They focused, frowning. Was that…fifty health? No, not just fifty.

It seemed Papyrus picked up on the difference and the odd anomaly in their health. After all, he always knew the exact amount of health an enemy had at any point in battle. _'Wait…wowie! Frisk, your health has doubled—but…why would…oh.'_ There was a pause, quiet murmurs, and an agreement. _'It looks like we all contributed some health to you, except uh…why do you have fifty_ _ **and a half**_ _health points? How did you manage that?'_

There was a quiet pause, and then, Papyrus seemed to realize. _'Sans.'_

 _What?_

 _This half a point…only you could have contributed it._

 _Ehh…possibly._

 _Sans, what good is half a health point?_

 _I dunno, maybe one day we'll survive by half a health point?_

 _It'd be the same as having a full health point, Sans._

Frisk drew a hand to their face, trying to shut them out of their mind as they continued talking. They had…more health. Frisk felt slightly relieved. It meant if they were ever in danger again, they could defend themselves.

They finished their meal, and as Gerson took the plate away, Frisk laid down, sleep swiftly claiming them back. It seemed it'd be a while longer before they could be up and about.

When Frisk became aware again, they knew they weren't awake, for they were resting in Toriel's lap. They looked up, before reaching for her. She smiled, leaning forward, allowing them to pet her muzzle, comically crossing her eyes, knowing it would get a little giggle out of them.

Slowly, Frisk reluctantly worked themselves out of Toriel's grasp, looking around, smiling a little as they saw the others, but once again, they noticed that one of the souls hadn't appeared. Briefly, they hugged the others, even Muffet, who wasn't exactly a part of the group, and had been on the outskirts of it, lost in her thoughts.

Once Frisk had given out their affection, they turned to them all, and said they were going to wander off for a bit. There were protests, but Toriel rose. "Let them go, all right? They hadn't exactly had a private moment for a bit, as we don't know how to back down…and we gave them quite a few headaches for that small amount of time they were up."

"Heh…" Sans shrugged helplessly. "Sorry about that, Kid. I'll try not to rile my brother…" He pulled them close, and muttered softly in their ear. "But you might as well be telling me not to breathe." They pointed out that he didn't need to. Sans snickered. "There you go."

After persuading them all, Frisk picked a random direction, and darted off, seeking out the last soul that was now residing within them. The last one was hiding, but Frisk had a good feeling that he'd show himself if they went alone.

Sure enough, Frisk sensed as if they had walked into a room. Slowly, a door formed behind them, and a room, a hidden cavern, perhaps, formed around them. It was…oddly familiar, as if they had been there before. They heard familiar broken warbles, as Gaster finally formed before them, and then spoke clearly. "Well, there you are child. I had figured you would come looking for me soon enough."

Frisk nodded, folding their arms as they leaned back against the wall, feeling comfortable that the others wouldn't stumble upon them. They questioned why he was hiding away from the others.

He leaned forward, his body seeming to alter from a perfect form, to a horrible melting state, and back, and it uneased Frisk slightly. "It is best that they do not find out I'm here. It's hard to keep your secrets in your mind." Frisk opened their red eyes in alarm, realizing he had a point. This was a mental plane…if they thought it…the others would hear it.

Frisk pointed out they'd likely find him eventually. Then, they came forward, and held out a hand. "Hmm?" Gaster asked. "A deal?" He folded his hands, thinking over the human's words. "Hmm, you hide me…and I hide you, you say?" Frisk nodded. "Ah, I see. You can hide me deep away, and in return, I hide…those little secrets you're thinking of right now." They gave a shakier nod. "Right, I'll hide everything of Asriel, but that…other special secret…" He leaned close.

"Don't you think you should just come out and say it?"

Their reply was that he was not one to talk.

"Guilty as charged."

With that, Gaster reached out, and took their hand. "Very well, that's a deal. You give me a place to hide, and I promise they'll never stumble upon that little secret of yours that you're so scared of them knowing."

With that, he rose, and began to vanish, along with everything else, and soon, Frisk found themselves alone. They took a shaky breath, and started to head back, hoping, dreaming, and praying that their secret stayed away from their family. They couldn't ever know. They wouldn't ever understand.


	45. Fallen into Uncertainty

Grillby sat alone in the upper lab with his cell phone, staring at it silently as he gathered his thoughts. He shook his head, his flames moving oddly, snapping as he fidgeted. He knew what he had to do, but that didn't make it any more appealing. He set his phone down, and took his glasses, cleaning them. He knew he was just procrastinating—cleaning his glasses was always a way to buy time, but it gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.

Finally, he picked it up again, and dialed. It rang, and rang, and not to his surprise, an answering machine picked up. He waited for it to finish, and then, finally spoke. "Emberno, I know you're still able to pick up…not that I fault you for not answering." Grillby sighed, thinking over his words.

"I know I had gone…a little too far yesterday. I could say that I was at the end of my rope with everything happening in the past few weeks…and then a good friend was injured because of it. However, those are excuses, and they don't give me the right to blow up on you like I did."

"Though, that does not erase the point I was trying to make. Emberno, it still stands. I have always wanted to talk to you about it, but there was never a good time. If you were ever in reach, then I wanted every moment you had to be with your daughter—but the moment you two went on another hunt, you were gone again."

"Emberno…she's eighteen now, and while I do love her dearly…don't you think it speaks volumes when she comes running to me, before you two?" The elemental paused again, trying to figure out how to continue wording things. "She may never have told you…wanted to keep your visits associated with happy memories because she saw you so rarely, but…"

"…she had a hard time with school, and she would come to me. Every single time. I know you're out there protecting our kingdom—but for the gods' sake, you're not the only beast hunters we have, even if the numbers have dwindled, and while I know you also enjoy the hunt…"

Grillby looked down, flames crackling. "Your daughter has needed you so many times when growing up…and she only had you for a few of them. In the end, I took care of her. It's not that I found her as a burden, but Emberno, for the love of…" Grillby drew a hand over his face. "It wasn't my place. It was yours. She's your daughter, and my niece."

The elemental stood, starting to pace. "I promised I'd take care of her if it ever came down to it, I haven't forgotten that, or thrown that aside…" The monster chided himself, feeling like he was saying the same things with different words, but he just wasn't sure how to say it in a way it was understood by his brother.

"I was to care for her in your absence, not raise her. Eighteen birthdays, brother. How many of them did you see? You were fortunate at least. Her first words, her first steps, you were there for those. …how about picking her up from her first day of school? Her first A in class? How about the first party she attended? …and those are just the top of the list…"

"Brother, I'll make it clear of what I want. We know I'm not one to normally repeat things, and I want to keep it that way. You're back, and your daughter has been through a lot. The kingdom was attacked—we lost good people—and I had left her practically by herself because I had no one else to immediately turn to. Her birthday was overshadowed as well. By the barrier breaking…by this wretched attack…to put it simply."

"You're here now; spend every moment with her. She doesn't need beast hunters. She doesn't need servants of the kingdom. She needs her parents, she needs you. So fulfill your role. I don't know how else to put it." Grillby sat back down. "Well…there we go. I'm sorry, but we know words are not…my forte. I either don't say enough, or I say too much. So…hopefully, my point and my apology is somewhere in that mess I just made… …goodbye." He pressed the button, and fell silent, hanging his head low.

* * *

Dogamy sighed contently, resting his head on his wife's shoulder as she groomed the last of their little ones. "They're certainly wriggly worms," he chuckled.

She gave a snort. "They're puppies. It's what they do." She continued tending to the last of them, and giggled. "I have a feeling this little tuft on Canis's head is going to be like that cowlick of yours."

Dogamy rolled his eyes. "Honestly, dear…if you say so…"

"I do say so," she replied, licking his muzzle briefly before going back to the pup.

There was a knock on the door, and Dogamy raised his head as it opened and Doggo poked his head in. Then he snuck over, smiling happily as he glanced to the puppies, though it faded a little as he glanced to Dogamy. "Brother…remember what I mentioned before you left? Well…now is apparently the time we talk about it."

"What of Dogaressa?"

"She just had pups the other day. They don't expect her to drag herself over with the squirmy, wriggly, moving—"

"Doggo."

"Right. She's okay to stay here."

Dogaressa gave a grunt of dissatisfaction. "Just be glad my puppies are cute."

Dogamy paused and then raised a brow at her. "Ours. Dear. Ours."

"Excuse me? I'm the girl, I get special privileges."

Doggo snickered. "Come on, Dogamy. Or we'll be here for another hour. Besides, our parents are staying here. Last meeting with them, well uh…"

"Let's not remember that," Dogamy stated.

Doggo gave a snort. "Yeah, no kidding. That was a disaster."

Dogaressa groaned, covering her eyes. "Then stop talking about it, I don't need the image coming back."

"…fine," Doggo said with a smirk, and then lowered his head next to Canis. "This one will be the death of me," he managed, his tail wagging excitedly. "She just moves so much, and she's so tiny and—" Canis gave a squeaky yip, and Doggo sank down to his knees. "I'm dead."

Dogaressa dead-panned at him. "Are all of you going to be this hopeless? If you're like this with Canis, they're all going to walk over you when you puppy-sit them."

"Do…we have puppy proof armor?"

Dogamy snorted. "As if there will ever be anything puppy proof."

Dogaressa raised her head. "Don't you two have a dull meeting to go to?"

Doggo raised his head. "I'm confused. She's mad that she's not going, but she finds the meetings dull."

Dogamy grabbed him and swiftly yanked him out of the house, not answering until they were well away. "She does hate the meetings. She just hates being left out even more."

"I'll never understand her."

"We're not allowed to, she's a female."

The two had to travel through the Underground, making their way to the capital. Within the monster city, was a building where the Royal Guard resided for the most part. A training hall, barracks, it was the home of the guard when they were on duty. Greater Dog and Lesser Dog raced up ahead, opening a door, each of them looking back at Doggo and Dogamy.

The building had to be centuries old, made of the stone from the mountain itself. Smooth—if colorless, and large, with tall rooms and hallways, with about four levels. There was an arena within, and of course, a meeting room that could hold all the officials, whereas the rest of the guard could find places to watch from higher levels of the building.

Sitting on a stone bench, tending to a weapon, was another dog monster. They were white furred, with long floppy ears. Their body was covered in armor, as they tended to a spear. "Doge…?" Dogamy called.

They looked up, and then stood, a bit of a smile coming to them. "Dogamy," she called, and then came over. "And how's my little brother doing?"

Dogamy dead-panned. "I'm taller than you now."

"Fine. Younger brother. How are you? And the pups? I heard that they came~ I, sadly, couldn't make it. We've been running amuck trying to keep things in order with so many…" Her mirth vanished completely. "With so many…gone."

Dogamy breathed out softly, and drew her close in a hug. "The rest of the pack is all right," he assured quietly to his sister.

"That's good to hear." Then, she gently tugged on him, getting him to follow her down the hall. "Come, most others have arrived. Calico and Mantidae will be happy to see the rest of the pack."

"Seems like 03 and 04 didn't waste time picking up where everything was dropped," Dogamy murmured.

"Those two were very quick," Doggo assured. "Good thing too, but…"

"You see, this is the one thing I don't get," Dogamy said. "Why are we even having this meeting? If the Captain falls, the numbers rank up one. 01 and 02 fell, so Calico should be the next Captain…"

Doge shrugged. "True, but I suppose it's because of the massive loss that we're doing things differently. We haven't lost this many since the War, and even then…we had our King and Queen to bring order back to the guard. …not this time."

"Still, 03 and 04 have the most experience, they were chosen for a reason," Dogamy argued.

Doggo frowned as he glanced toward the other male. "Dogamy are you…nervous about what I mentioned?"

"What—nervous?" Dogamy asked with confusion. "About what?"

Doggo folded his arms. "Don't play dumb with me. I told you what they were thinking while they were gone."

"I know—but still," Dogamy murmured. "I'm not ranked, I have pups now, I…"

"I haven't earned such a high title—if it ends up being the case?" Doge asked.

Dogamy's ears drooped. "All I did was help with Sans's final plan. And while we got rid of the human, that's not to say it all worked out."

"True," she said. "However," she continued as they reached another set of doors. "That's something you'll have to tell them." She started to pull one open, while Greater Dog sprung ahead, happily helping her open the other one.

They opened up to a room with a large table. Dogamy's ears rose a little as he looked at the far side. An empty seat at the end, for the captain, and the seats closest to that one were empty as well. The next set of seats, however, were occupied by 03, and 04. They were a cat monster and a mantis like bug monster, covered in black armor.

The rest of the table had other ranked guardsman, and all of them looked to the canines that entered, with the rest of the pack going to the sides, aside from Dogamy. "You came," the feline murmured. "We were worried when you disappeared." Her voice was clear, though the words seemed to vibrate a little as if there were a purr within her speaking manners.

Dogamy dipped his head down. "I'm afraid there were other matters I had tended to that involved our human companion…but I've returned."

"You are aware of why you've been summoned, yes?" Mantidae asked, hands folded. Her voice was a bit deeper, a formal and stern vibe coming off her as her antennas twitched above her head.

"The abled of the guard have been summoned to decide on a captain," Dogamy stated simply.

This time, only one of her antennas twitched. "I'm sure your brother said more than that."

"Yes, he mentioned a possible candidate."

"What do you think of such a proposal?" Calico questioned.

"I think I'm confused," Dogamy stated, raising his head fully. "Everyone else at this table is a ranked guardsman. You and 04 should be next in line to be Captain. I don't understand why it would go to anyone else—much less be offered to an unranked guard."

Mantidae breathed out. "While it's true that we would, in theory, be next in line—that would have been under normal circumstances and not when the heads of our country were all slain in the space of two days—most minutes apart."

She tapped her gloved hand on the table. "This was not of light decision, and within the past week we thought about it more. Everyone is in agreement."

"That doesn't answer the question of why you chose me."

Calico shook her head, and then looked up at him. "Dogamy, as the head of your pack, you have natural leadership skills, and you're a pack monster. Right now, the kingdom has fallen into uncertainty. We have no heirs, and while 04 and I are indeed higher ranked…you have the experience to guide a group."

"And if packs are anything to go by," Mantidae stated. "You would do more than guide or lead. It's just the way your type is. Dogamy, leader of the Snowdin guards…"

She and the cat monster stood up, and they spoke together. "The royal guard as a whole, requests that you accept the role of Captain."

Dogamy stared. He knew that was what would be asked of him, but it still stunned him. He had never dreamed—nor truly wanted to be Captain of the Guard. He was content with being with his pack. He didn't need much to be happy, and with the pups, he couldn't be happier. Being the captain…it was a big responsibility.

Dogamy glanced back to his pack mates, all who stood with assuring smiles. He turned, looking back to the others. The kingdom…it needed all the help it could get right now, and if the rest thought he was up to the role…then he should take it. Though, Dogamy felt assured. If he did take the role, he wouldn't be alone. His pack would be there supporting it.

"If this is what you want then…" He stepped forward with a sincere look. "Then I'll accept."

* * *

For Frisk, time was confusing. They were always waking in a daze, staying awake only long enough to eat, before sleep claimed them again. They did realize that eventually, they were no longer waking in the lab, but rather, the royal's home in their bedroom. Days went by, a week, before they were finally truly conscious.

They finished drinking the Sea Tea that Gerson had given them as he sat on the bed opposite of them. They sat there, swinging their legs; their white furred feet dangling as their lower set of hands were folded over their lap.

"Kid…" Gerson murmured. "How ya feeling?" They assured him that they were feeling better. "That's good, now…I'm going to need to talk with you; all right…first off…who am I talking to? Am I talking to my neck-warmer? Some new being from the soul merging, or…?"

"Frisk," was the agreed reply, though Toriel influenced the next part. "The rest are here, we're all here, we're just…"

"All in one body," Gerson concluded. "Well, that's not the best news, but it could have been worse..." He folded his arms, tapping a foot. "Now, do you know why you blacked out?" Frisk shook their head with a befuddled expression. "You drained yourself of magic. Now, I'm not sure how this all works, but I do know one thing—someone your age using so much magic that you're not even supposed to have…using it all like that had to come back and bite you at some point."

Frisk was quiet as the others murmured softly to sort things out. _'How much magic did we have when we started…?'_ Alphys asked.

 _'I don't think anyone took a moment to check,'_ Undyne pointed out.

 _'We were…preoccupied…'_ Muffet mentioned.

 _'Regardless of how much we had,'_ Toriel started. _'Frisk is still just a child. What we did down there was quite…a bit for them.'_

 _'No kidding,'_ Sans replied. _'They don't even use magic, so it was probably a shock to the system.'_

 _'But what else were we supposed to do?'_ Papyrus asked. _'That was barely enough to get out of there!'_

Asgore finally spoke. _'There was nothing else we could do in that situation. However, we must be careful for now on when we're forced to use magic. They can only handle so much. We're no longer in a pure body of magic. We cannot afford to go all out, especially between all of us.'_

There were murmurs of agreement, and Frisk looked up. "…we promise to be more careful…"

Gerson sighed, and stood, coming over with a slight smile. "That's good to hear, neck-warmer." He knelt down, and ruffled their hair. "Now just relax and get some more rest, okay? Once you're better, we'll try to figure out what we're supposed to do."

* * *

Mettaton stepped into the resort, glancing around. It was empty…for the most part. However, he spotted the orange feline. Mettaton came over, leaning against the counter. "You're still here?" he asked. "I thought you would have left with all things considered."

The feline took his cigarette out of his mouth. "Well, with everything all over the place with the barrier broken, and…the rest of this. This is currently the only place that pays me—even if it is minimum wage."

"That's what I'm here to talk about."

"Oh no…you're going to fire me aren't you?"

Mettaton raised a hand. "Actually…" He paused, his mind going through files. After the burger incident, most didn't call the feline by his actual name, and it took a few moments for Mettaton to remember what it had been. "Felix."

Felix's ears twitched. "…I don't know if I should be happy, or worried that you said my actual name."

The robot sighed. "I'll admit I haven't exactly been the best monster toward you…"

"Try worst, if you're looking for a critic," the cat stated, his eyes narrowed.

Mettaton lowered his head, before drawing a hand over his face. "I know, I know…I was horrible, and caught up in what I was doing. I see that now, and that is why I'm here talking to you. You're the only one left…even if it is out of desperation."

"Whatever you're going to say, just say it already," Felix said.

"To the point then." Felix's ear twitched as he listened. Mettaton didn't have his usual flair, something that the cat caught onto. He was acting a little different, and Felix realized that whatever was going to be said would be straight forward. Mettaton folded his hands, pausing for a moment to calculate the best approach, and then went with a simple: "Would you like a promotion?"

Felix blinked several times in surprise. "Wa…wait what?"

"A promotion," Mettaton repeated. "With everything going haywire, I am no longer able to worry about entertainment. I need to take Alphys's place until further notice. However, I could use an assistant, someone to help me with the work. Now, to be fair, I'm not sure what that would entail as of this moment, but…it could possibly be an improvement, and I could at least pay you more than this."

"Hold it!" the feline exclaimed, staring at the robot. "Let me get this straight. You—out of all the monsters down here—want to take over Alphys's position as the scientist?"

"What better than the robot that can download all her research and learn everything by just obtaining the information?" he replied.

Felix raised a hand to make a counter argument, but then paused. "…actually, that makes sense…but you…"

Mettaton breathed out. "I'll be honest, it's not my first choice, but I've made enough mistakes. I'm putting the kingdom before my dreams—but I know I'm going to need help."

"And you want me."

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

Felix sighed, taking off his hat. "Well, anything beats flipping those Glam Burgers. So…yeah." He looked up with a bit of a smirk. "Looks like I'll give it a shot. I make no promises of anything though."

Mettaton nodded. "I can work with that."

"So, what do you need me to do right now?"

Mettaton offered him a small book. "This is an instruction book for the machines in Alphys's lab. If we're in an emergency and I can't be at them all at once…"

"Huh…" Felix flipped through the pages, and then nodded. "Well, in that case, I'm heading home and reading this…I'll drop by the lab tomorrow."

"No rush," Mettaton assured. "I need to head back now though," he said as he turned to leave.

"Though one more thing, Boss." Mettaton paused and turned in surprise. "Mind telling me the details tomorrow? Something big has happened…I might be a bit more help if we were on the same page?"

Mettaton nodded. "I'll spill the beans then," he assured, as he left.

Felix watched him go as he set his hat down. "Well, maybe I haven't wasted my entire life just yet."

* * *

Another week went by, and in that time, several monsters were on a different routine from their normal life. Dogamy had become the Captain of the Guard, and was aiding in sorting out the guard after the deaths of Undyne, as well as 01 and 02. Thankfully, 03 and 04 were helping him figure out how to manage the workings behind the guard, while his pack was happy to aid in any way.

Mettaton had taken over the lab, always going through files of Alphys's. Once Gerson had clarified Frisk's situation a bit more, the robot had started to go through Alphys's files on Determination. It was a similar case of multiple souls being stuck together, and it was a good a place as any to start looking into for solutions to defuse them. Felix was even helping out—mainly with keeping an eye on Muffet's vitals, knowing to contact the robot if anything changed for her.

Grillby however, would come every day to allow the cat a reprieve so that he could head upstairs to smoke—as Mettaton made it clear that he couldn't do it within the lab. The fire elemental would always stay for quite some time, watching with concern as she barely managed to breathe.

Napstablook was a little lost with their place, but were happy to aid where they could, often helping Mettaton and Felix when they needed it—though they would find themselves near the elemental when he visited, wanting to somehow offer him comfort. Though the ghost's concerns went out to everyone, and they would even head up to where Frisk was to check on them.

Gerson had spent his time looking out for Frisk. He made sure they ate, but he kept them in bed until their magic could recover. Though that didn't mean he left them bored out of their minds. Though Undyne complained, Frisk and Papyrus won when it came to listening to stories, and Gerson was more than happy to tell a few.

Eventually though, Frisk was able to move around again. One morning, they asked Gerson if they could go to the throne room, they wanted to take care of the flowers—partially from Asgore's concern for them, but Frisk found themselves genuinely wanting to do it, as if it was a part of them, as well as Asgore now that they were like this.

However, just as they were leaving the house, Dogamy came, wanting to speak to the old turtle. With Gerson being the eldest monster around, the canine found himself going to him for advice on recovering the kingdom. The turtle advised to take the child to the throne room, and they could talk at the edge of the golden hall so that Frisk could have something of alone time.

Frisk watered the flowers, hearing the murmurs of the others. They all knew what was going on with the kingdom. There was no one to lead it, and though the captain and the royal scientist were taken care of…they had to figure out what to do.

Ear fins twitched an hour later, and Frisk looked up. They heard voices coming from the northern entrance. Frisk paused, the others silencing their communication. Voices and footsteps…three of them. Finally, they were close enough so that Frisk could distinguish words.

"Think this was here the whole time…?" a male's voice asked.

"Or was it after that earthquake?" another man questioned.

"No," a woman said. "Those archways…this has been here for years. We might have just made a historic discovery…wait—what is that?"

Frisk's dual-colored eyes widened as the three came into view. Frisk let out a cry, as three humans came into sight.


	46. Neutral Ground

Frisk stumbled back in alarm, their dual-colored eyes widening. In an instant though, they heard the sound of two sets of running footsteps. Their ear fins twitched, and they whirled as Gerson and Dogamy came in, demanding what was happening, only to slide to a halt, weapons in hand as their eyes widened at the sight of the three humans that had come in.

The child looked about, realizing that they had unintentionally made the situation get worse. They glanced back to the humans, taking quick notes, trying to figure out what they were. Frisk's own thoughts supplied that they weren't warriors, at the very least. However, the two men, on instinctive reaction, drew out weapons.

Frisk and Alphys both realized what they were. Guns. To be fair, the action was somewhat warranted when two strange creatures came running in with weapons in hand, however… They fired, and Frisk raised a hand, time seeming to slow as they focused. For a brief moment, their palms ached, and then, a wall of aqua magic formed.

The bullets hit it, and the rules of aqua magic soon rendered them harmless. Frisk let the shield go, and then took a gamble. Now fused, the others weren't quite sure what happened if they lost all their health, and Frisk didn't want to truly test it. However, the child still jumped forth, and spun, their back to the humans as they spread their arms. "Everyone, stop!" they exclaimed.

Instantly, Gerson and Dogamy drew back. The men looked ready to fire again, but the woman grabbed one of their arms and yanked it down. "Enough!" she finally exclaimed. "Stop it before you do something we all regret!"

The men jerked back, with one pointing forward. "Excuse me!? Do you not see what we're seeing standing over there!?"

"Of course I see it," she retorted, narrowing blue eyes. "However, if you shoot them, I'm sure more will come running."

"What are they even?" the other man muttered.

Gerson and Dogamy looked at each other, raising a brow. They didn't know…?

"I'm not sure," the woman replied. "But they speak our language—it'd be a waste to shoot a finding like this."

Finding. Frisk could sense Alphys disliking that. The woman hadn't spared them out of a pure heart, but rather because she wanted to learn more…at least it stopped the attacks. Undyne was agitated, angry that they tried shooting them, but the brothers pulled her back as Toriel and Asgore decided to steer the conversation.

"Who are you?" Frisk asked, slowly turning, lowering their hands behind their back, feeling oddly exposed with them seeing their fused form. "Why are you up on the mountain?"

Frisk observed them, noting their brown hair of varying shades, and that both men had yellow eyes. They glanced to the woman, who slowly knelt, to be at the child's eye level, but Frisk could sense that Alphys and Undyne disliked it. She was only trying to appeal to them, and not just lower herself to the child's level for their sake.

"I'm a scientist; do you know what that is?"

"Of course," Frisk replied. "Please assume we're all on the same page."

The woman nodded. "Very well. We've been getting readings of tremors near the mountain here. There was a big one two weeks back…" Frisk and the others knew that was likely the fault of the corruption. "Though there was a smaller one a week before that that had us watching…"

 _'Whoops…'_ came Sans's sheepish reply, while Frisk sensed Papyrus glaring at him.

Most of the others were left confused, and it was some of Frisk's knowledge of the outside world that helped them move the conversation forward. "You think they were earthquakes?"

"That's one theory," the woman said. "There was also the possibility that the mountain was a dormant volcano. We came up here to see, because if that blows up, our city below would be in a lot of trouble."

Frisk nodded slowly, their eyes having closed nearly all the way, like they usually were. If there was anything Frisk excelled at, it was their neutral expression when listening to others. The woman didn't quite like it though, as she wasn't sure what the child was thinking. "You thought Ebott might erupt…it's a possibility, but…" They shook their head. "No. If it was thinking about it, we would have known already."

"However…" the child murmured. "How did you find the entrance? It's not easy to find ways into here…"

She shrugged. "Just by chance, I suppose. We were on our way to the top, and saw this. We wouldn't have gone in too far, but we saw the archways, and well…I got curious. Thought we found a historic site or something."

"To be fair…" Frisk turned in surprise to see that Gerson had decided to speak. "Those are centuries old. I hate to be blunt on your little discovery, but you're trespassing."

"And now that you found us," Dogamy started. "What do you plan to do?"

The three looked at each other, trying to find a way to answer, but Frisk was urged on, and so, the child spoke. "You plan to talk to an official about this, don't you? You're going to tell others if we let you go." The humans stiffened, and the child smiled. "Which we will. We want no quarrel with you."

"Then what do you want?" one of the men asked.

The child kept their pleasant smile. "Well, since you stumbled upon our kingdom. We rather you kept this to just officials for the moment. If they wish to tell the rest of your own kingdom of our existence, then they are free to do so."

"Kingdom—we don't—" The woman elbowed the man that had tried to speak.

"Well then, we'll let Leader decide what he wants to do."

One of the men rolled his eyes. "You know what he's going to do. He'll want to see for himself, and his assistant will nag him to bring body guards."

The woman scoffed. "Like he needs any."

The other man shook his head. "It doesn't matter if he needs any, they'll still end up bringing a bunch. You think it's a good idea to intrude on their territory for long?"

"…well inviting them into ours doesn't sound like a good idea."

The other man raised his hand. "What about that abandoned lodge we found?" Frisk stiffened, realizing they meant the home that had been built outside the mountain—the process abandoned upon the corruption's attack. "If they live in the mountain, and we live below it, then that should be neutral ground to meet on…right?"

"Possibly…"

Frisk was quiet, biting their lip for a few moments as everyone tried to gather themselves. "Um…" Frisk hated how everything they had been planning was falling away. They didn't want to meet the humans until they were ready, and now, even that was going. However, it seemed that the tale was still so old that the humans weren't about to start massacring the monsters.

Still, they had to deal with the cards they were dealt. "…we would be okay with that if your…Leader is." The monsters gathered that this wasn't a kingdom they'd be dealing with, but that still left many other possibilities.

"He most likely will," she assured.

"That's a place, anyways," Dogamy said. "Now you just need a time."

Frisk slowly raised a hand, feeling conscious about the gaping hole in the palm. It was fine with the monsters, but now that the humans were here, they felt odd. "Um…our clocks should be the same…um…" They swiftly confirmed it. "We can wait near the lodge every day at noon for the next week. After that, you'll have to contact us again. We have other matters to attend to."

The woman waved a hand. "It'll most likely be tomorrow," she assured. "Our Leader would do anything to get out of the Capital Building. He'd cancel appointments too." Frisk watched the humans closely. They were acting as calm as they could, but somehow, the hybrid of human and monster knew they were nervous about the monsters. They may not know the old tales, but they knew to be wary.

"Then…" Frisk murmured. "That's what we'll do…" They turned to the other monsters. "It could be just the three of us."

"Just the three?" Gerson asked, arms folded. "Kid, I'm not sure…"

"It's okay. If something goes wrong, I can fix it."

Dogamy shook his head. "It's better this way, I think," he told the turtle. "We don't need to bring out more for what should be a simple chat. Unless we should be given reason otherwise." The last part was said as his gaze met the humans.

"We could mention that to Leader," the woman replied. "His assistant may still want to bring more guards."

"He'll probably persuade her to just bring the one," one of the men supplied.

"Then it might be fair," the woman said.

Frisk looked up quietly. "…have we found an agreement?"

"I believe we have," the woman assured.

"Then…I must ask you to leave. The mountain is not about to erupt. If it were, you would already know about us…and this is royal grounds."

The woman raised her hands in surrender. "Don't need to tell us twice. We'll leave, and report to Leader. If things go as planned, you'll likely find him by that lodge tomorrow afternoon."

"…we'll be waiting," Frisk stated simply. The monsters watched the humans back away, and then dart out of sight. They waited, until the footsteps faded.

Dogamy stared, ears drooping back. "…did we really just see…humans…?" he asked with uncertainty.

"Afraid so," the turtle replied, before stepping forward, still slightly stunned over what had happened. "Kid…are you really sure about this? No offense, but I trust most humans about as much as I trust the calculator to avoid a camera."

"In other words, not at all," Dogamy surmised.

"The last time I saved was last night," Frisk murmured. "Let's keep going. If I die, I'll reset back to there, and we can simply cover the entrance."

Gerson sighed. "Fine. We'll do it this way, but I get to say 'I told you so' if this goes wrong."

Dogamy snorted and then turned. "You two should get back to the house. I'm going to get 03 and 04—erm, I mean, 01 and 02. We need guards at the entrance. Just in case."

Frisk watched quietly, with the other monsters within them confused by how neutral Frisk was on them taking precautions to the humans. Frisk saw their reasoning, and while they were against violence, they couldn't take another death. If the humans proved to be a threat, well, it was better to be prepared. Frisk couldn't go through another genocide.

Gerson took their hand, and then, with a grunt, brought them onto his shoulders. "Come on, Neck-Warmer. Let's get you back to the house…" Frisk nodded, and closed their eyes, their head slightly pounding from the whole ordeal.

By the time that Gerson got them back home, he found they had fallen asleep. He sighed softly, and took them to bed, tucking them in, ruffling their hair, a look of concern coming to him. He remembered the war, he remembered how humans were. So come tomorrow, either there would be a miracle, or likely, another war would erupt.

A thousand years…was Frisk like the others, or just an exception? He slowly stood, and left the room and it wasn't until an hour later that Frisk awoke. They sat up, and snuck out, sneaking down the hall to look at the mirror, studying their abnormalities. The monsters stirred, sensing Frisk's unease about it.

They flinched, bringing one hand to their head, wincing at the reaction the others were giving. Frisk couldn't help it. With the humans…they wanted to appear somewhat normal. The eyes…oh, they could hide that. They have always been able to hide their eyes, since the very beginning.

The rest however…was going to be difficult. Though, Frisk knew someone who might be able to help with that, and possibly enjoy it. They swiftly found Gerson, and told him they'd be off in Hotlands, but would be back for dinner. Then, they rushed off.

* * *

Mettaton groaned, unable to believe what he had been told. Dogamy had alerted him of the humans, and so, now, the robot was busy connecting to the outside cameras that Alphys had managed to install. For now, nothing, but a little bit of him was staying on top of that, while another part of him was going through mind numbing research for Frisk's condition.

Someone tapped him, and he turned to see the child. He managed a smile. "There you are, little darling. How are you feeling?" They gave a shrug, and he leaned down. "Is there anything you need…?"

They stood on tiptoes, and whispered to him. Instantly, his eyes lit up. "You…want me to design you an attire to help hide everything?" They nodded. "Well…" Mettaton smiled. "Absolutely, darling! Honestly, I need something aside from boring numbers on my mind right now!" The next thing Frisk knew, he had scooped them up, and darted upstairs.

Mettaton was swift with gathering measurements, and already spouting off a list of ideas, though Frisk insisted on simple. As he went over to the work table, still murmuring ideas, Frisk slipped out of Sans's hoodie, and rested their hands on the scarf, thinking quietly. Usually, the tails were tied into knots around their wrists.

They untied them, unraveling the scarf from their arms, and then redoing it. The ends of the tails were then wrapped around their upper palms, covering them from sight; the knots now on the back of their hands. They tested their movement, and took note that their upper arms couldn't spread fully, but it was decent enough, and Frisk found themselves satisfied with it.

Then, they picked up the hoodie, looking at it quietly. It was still torn, and while they had gotten rid of their blood stains, it still needed mending. Frisk didn't notice at first, when their second set of arms began to move. The lower set were a little different. The limbs were thinner, more akin to Muffet's more delicate appearance.

Frisk lowered the hoodie as Muffet urged them, then, controlling only the lower set of arms, Muffet coaxed out purple magic, a needle and thread, and began to tend to the hoodie. Frisk watched, a little mesmerized by the magic—besides, they knew they couldn't take their gaze away…and without ever noticing, Frisk began to hum a tune they barely even knew.

* * *

Down below, green flames grabbed onto someone's shoulders. "Uncle Grillby…? Uncle Grillby? …Uncle Grillby!"

The orange flamed elemental jerked with a gasp in the seat he had been sleeping in. He blinked rapidly, looking at Fiona. "What…?" he managed.

"Uncle Grillby…did you get any sleep last night?" she asked in concern.

"Yes…I think…" He sighed. "I'm not sure," he admitted.

"Uncle Grillby," she muttered in exasperation, though it swiftly changed to concern. "…are you all right? You haven't been yourself since…since you got back. I'm worried."

"I just…went through a lot while I was gone. I'll be fine eventually…"

"But when is eventually?"

"…I don't know," Grillby murmured, his gaze going to the unconscious spider.

Fiona glanced over briefly. "…they said she's stable, right?" Grillby nodded. "Then…she should be all right. Uncle Grillby, you need to take care of yourself too, right? …wouldn't she be mad at you if you neglected yourself…?" Fiona asked hesitantly.

Grillby blinked a few times, and then turned. "…since when were you allowed to use my own words against me?"

She huffed. "Uncle Grillby!" She shoved him, albeit playfully. "Eat something and get some sleep!" She smiled as she got a chuckle out of him.

"So I shall, dear," he assured. "However, you should head back up. Your parents are here, don't waste it."

"Then take care of yourself," she replied, resting her head against his, their flames exchanging briefly. "I'll be back tomorrow—don't be dead again~" With that, she raced off. Grillby smiled, watching her go, before standing, deciding to walk around a little so that he could stay up the rest of the day, before crashing for the night.

He wasn't gone long, but as he approached the room again, he paused, dimming his flames vastly. There was something red hovering by Muffet. Slowly, he crept toward it, finally identifying it. He took another step, recognizing it for a red human soul. However, he had gotten close enough for it to notice.

Chara whipped around in stunned alarm, realizing they had been seen. Instantly, they went to flee through the walls, but Grillby lunged forward, knowing he could capture the soul, as he was a monster. His flames darted forth, coming around them, his magic drawing them back. The human ghost cried out as they were dragged back to him, though he couldn't hear it.

Fear and panic surged through them. They only felt this once before, when Asriel had taken them, but they didn't know Grillby—not well enough to know his intentions. To be taken by a monster that they didn't know…it was terrifying. They braced themselves, expecting to be fused—to be taken over.

Flamed limbs came around them. "Not so fast," the elemental said, and they shakily looked up at his unreadable face, dreading what may come next.


	47. One to Talk

The ghost of the human kicked and struggled, silently crying out, desperate to escape the fire elemental. His hold was firm, and when they tried to slip out, his magic would stop them from getting far. Despite that Grillby was using the ability to absorb a human soul to keep them in place; he had no intention of doing it fully.

There was too much going on, and a lot of it, he just didn't understand. He was determined to finally get something to make sense, and he had an idea that this little ghost might have some answers. Now, if only they would calm down…not that he expected them to take this kindly. He did confine them after all.

They struggled, expelling energy as they tried to break free as the elemental watched them quietly, and sure enough, they eventually ran out of steam. They shook and shuddered as the elemental quietly stared at them. "Are you done now?" he asked quietly. "I'm not going to let you go until we clear things up."

The ghost looked up at him as he watched them calmly. They squirmed, not liking how they couldn't escape it. The penetrating gaze that wouldn't so much as glance away. They grasped at their head, uncertain of what to do. Grillby breathed out. "Are you here to cause trouble?"

The silence stretched on, until finally, they feebly shook in response. The elemental moved, sitting back down into his chair. Chara froze as they felt his magical hold on them loosen. "Then why are you here…? You're the one from the gardens, correct?" They nodded, and then pointed at the spider monster.

He frowned in confusion. "Do you know her…?" Chara gave another silent 'no'. "Then why…?" The little ghost raised their hands to form a heart. Grillby paused, and then it clicked. "You're trying to see the other human soul." They nodded, and Grillby sighed softly. "I'm not sure if you'll manage anything." They shrugged, knowing what he meant.

The soul was broken—the human likely wouldn't even stir. In this case though, it might work in Muffet's favor, due to her state. However, the soul was safest like this, and it was keeping Muffet alive. Chara blinked in surprise as the magical hold vanished all together. Instantly they jerked away, quickly whirling around to look at Grillby.

He removed his glasses, rubbing a hand over his face. "I believe we definitely started on the wrong foot, though to be fair, we've seem to have both suffered quite a few horrible events." Chara was silent, seemingly unable to talk in their current state. "Now, child…" They watched the elemental as he placed his glasses back on.

"If you're not going to cause trouble, I have no issue with your presence. You just want to see your friend, hmm?" Grillby didn't have the full story, and while he wasn't completely right…Chara couldn't say he was wrong either. They were no friend to the broken soul, but they felt they were somewhat responsible for them.

Still wary, Chara moved to the opposite side of the spider, so that they could still see Grillby. The fire elemental simply stood, and walked away, seeming to give the human ghost the benefit of the doubt. He had seen them in the garden—they had attacked and fought against the other human.

Other than that, he didn't know them, but Grillby was not against figuring them out, for when he thought back to that fight… Some things weren't making sense, and when he did think it through, the answers he was coming up with caught him off guard.

Later that night, Frisk hid in the kitchen, clutching their head. The rest of the evening had been full of talking only they could hear. The others were trying to reason on which way to confront the humans. Undyne was still mad, knowing how the humans felt behind their calm façade. They were terrified.

The fish monster was certain that the humans would bring an army—not just an important official. After all, why risk an important figure? Though Alphys interjected that they had quite a bit of confidence in this leader, if they weren't worried about the fact he wouldn't want to bring guards.

Even Sans pointed out that they had to tread carefully, because no matter how one looked at it…human souls were stronger than monster souls. They would always be at a disadvantage, and the best they could do was to appeal to them. With everything still hectic in the kingdom, they couldn't afford to make enemies.

Toriel and Asgore were the voices of pure reason. The best they could hope for was that the meeting somehow went smoothly. Perhaps the leader would be a reasonable human. Frisk couldn't be the only good human soul down in the city below. Though, sadly, Frisk didn't have any insight on that, and didn't offer up what they knew.

The child only assured that they were probably more reasonable than they were a thousand years ago. Despite that, Undyne let her argument be known. The humans were scared—they'd bring more trouble—and they just had to play nice!? They had to submit to the humans again!?

While others tried to assure Undyne otherwise, Frisk clutched their head, falling onto their side as pain started to emerge as monsters tried to rein Undyne in. Her anger was warranted, seeing as how the woman talked down to them, treating them as lesser beings right off the bat, and how she hid her fears, and worked through greed.

They didn't need to know the humans to figure that out. Tiny little signs were made, and Toriel and Asgore could pick up on them. The slight twitch of fingers, gazes that would always leave the speaker briefly…and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Tomorrow would either bring the start of a rocky relationship…or a massacre.

Frisk rolled over, their original hands grasping at the hair around their horns, their lower arms supporting them. They whimpered as the voices stirred, and even as the others tried to quiet down, it didn't get rid of the pain. That wasn't new however. It happened when a conversation got going, and Frisk could only handle it for so long.

They bit their lip, and struggled to their feet, leaning against the refrigerator as they tried to wait out the pain. They clenched their lower hands, the palms now covered in bandages. It was make-shift, but it was the only thing Frisk could think of to hide the holes in their palms without wearing gloves.

Frisk winced, and listened to the soft murmurs in the next room. Dogamy had come again, to Gerson, talking to him about tomorrow as they tried to plan out what to do. Frisk didn't want to bother them, knowing that they were just as worried about the meeting as they were. It didn't help that the humans didn't detail anything, and all Frisk knew was that they were going to meet the 'Leader'.

The child, sadly, didn't seem to know much about their human government, too young to have learned how their world worked. All the monsters gathered was that they lived on the outskirts, and therefore, didn't fully know how their own civilization functioned.

Frisk kept a hand between their horns, deciding that they had to get to bed, so that hopefully, they would be able to think straight, come tomorrow. They made their way into the living room, keeping another hand on the wall to keep them from falling. "What I'm saying, Dogamy…" The turtle paused, turning to see the child.

He stood. "Frisk…are you all right?" he asked in concern as he walked over, kneeling down slowly. "What's wrong, Neck-Warmer?"

"My head hurts," they whined.

Gerson sighed, and then scooped them up. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He glanced to the canine as he walked past. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time," the dog assured, holding his cup of Sea Tea that Gerson had provided.

The turtle swiftly took the child to their room, setting them down on the bed. "Now stay put a moment, I might have something for you." The headaches were always there, but this one was the worst he had seen, with the poor child barely able to move around because of it. The turtle reached into his shell, and then pulled out a jar of medicine, and a spoon.

A moment later, he was offering Frisk a spoonful. "Here, Neck-Warmer, try this. It should help." He wasn't sure if monster medicine would work, but right now, he had to try something. The child feebly took the medicine, making a face as they managed to swallow it. Then they fell back, and the turtle tucked them in.

He stayed put for a little bit, before the child opened their eyes, raising their gaze a little. "…it feels better," they murmured. Gerson sighed in relief.

"That's good to hear. Anyways, stay in bed now. We've got a big day tomorrow…"

The child nodded with a little hum. "Thank you…" As he started to leave, he paused at the door as they continued. "Goodnight, Grandpa Gerson." He perked, turning in surprise. It seemed they realized what they did, and covered their mouth, looking at him in stunned sheepishness.

"Grandpa…?" he questioned, and then shrugged. "Well, if you want to call me that, go ahead." The child sheepishly hid their face with the blanket, and he shook his head with a smirk. Yet, as he left the room, a goofy smile split across his face. _They just called me Grandpa…_ Even when he re-entered the living room, the smile did not fade away.

Dogamy glanced to him, and then raised a brow. "What happened to you, Gerson? You look like you stuck the best deal ever and finally sold all that junk in your shop."

"Nah, something much better," the turtle assured, settling down with a content sigh. "Anyways, what do you think of asking them?"

"I think asking Napstablook to keep a look out during the meeting should be all right. They're a ghost, so they can stay well enough out of sight, and make a quick getaway to the kingdom if anything goes wrong."

"Good. Also, could you tell Mettaton we need a table, and hmm…six chairs?"

Dogamy blinked. "We do?"

Gerson nodded. "Frisk told me they never got around to furnishing that house due to the attacks."

"Right…I'll…ask him if he knows where to get some quickly." He stood. "Regardless, it's late, and I need to go home to help Dogaressa with the pups…and somehow still be able to function tomorrow."

"Heh, good luck with that."

The next morning, Dogamy shielded his eyes as he stepped out. Despite being outside several times before, it was the same each time. The sun blinded his sensitive eyes; but he couldn't help a smile as he looked around with a content sigh.

"Not going to get old, will it?" Gerson asked as he stepped out with him, with Frisk riding on his shoulders.

"No…not ever," the canine breathed.

The turtle snickered, raising his head fully. "After centuries without the sun…it's wonderful to feel it again."

It was nearing noon, and while the lodge was nearby, they had decided to start out early, as it was a bit of a walk before they would actually get there. Earlier that morning, Dogamy and Gerson had gotten the table and chairs to the lodge, and now they were going to see if anyone would show. The furniture was actually provided directly from Mettaton, with the robot allowing them to take some from the old resort, due to the lack of use it had currently.

As they neared the lodge, Dogamy frowned, sniffing the air. "What's wrong, Pup?" the turtle asked.

"…I think they scouted the area within the past hour," Dogamy said. "I'm catching some unfamiliar—recent human scents."

Gerson gave a soft sigh. "Figured," he said, as they neared the home. "Think they're in there waiting?"

Dogamy gave a grunt in response. "No, they're faint. They probably just looked through the windows to make sure we weren't setting up an ambush."

"Ever so trusting," Gerson replied. "Though we would have done the same thing, so we're not ones to talk."

Dogamy nodded, leaning against the wall of the lodge, while Gerson sat down at the entrance. The canine's ears twitched, as did his nose, as he looked around. "They're still nearby," he muttered under his breath. "They'll probably show themselves once they're certain we're the only ones."

Gerson gave a grunt to assure he heard. "At least we have a special escape route. Isn't that right, Neck-Warmer?"

"Hmm…" they hummed distractedly, staring off into the distance. Gerson frowned, and then tapped their leg. They blinked, and then looked down, before nodding in assurance. They could get them to escape if things did get out of hand.

Dogamy's gaze darted around. "I don't like this," he muttered. "They're watching, I know it. Though they don't seem to be planning an attack seeing how quiet it still is…" If there was an attack coming, they would know.

A gust of wind came, and Dogamy faced it, breathing in as he closed his eyes. Scents met him, and he didn't like what he sensed, but with Frisk's abilities, he decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and hope that things would go smoothly.

Some ways from the unfinished home, someone lowered a pair of binoculars, aqua eyes watching, and then glanced to the side. "Well, Leader, looks like your lead scientist and some of our guards hadn't gone insane," came a woman's voice.

"So it would appear," a man replied, and then chuckled. "Told you she didn't go nuts."

"Or breathe in something weird," a younger male replied with a slight hint of mirth, his orange eyes holding a glimmer of amusement.

"As always, Michael, nothing seems to faze you," the woman said.

"Well, you're one to talk, Clarabelle."

The older man shook his head. "Honestly, both of you," he said with a chuckle, running a hand through white hair. "Behave yourselves."

"Of course, Leader," the woman stated simply, her shoulder length, dark red hair blowing forward in the breeze.

"I'm behaving, William," the other man grumbled, adjusting what looked like the cap of a security guard.

"Leader, are you sure about this?" the woman asked. "We don't know what these are—aside from that one theory you proposed."

"Well, I think my theory might have just gotten evidence. And for the last time, Clarabelle, have a little faith in me. Besides, I checked around. There's no traps or enemies. Except for that one…but no, it should stand to reason that there's one other."

Clarabelle frowned. "…your…point, Leader?"

"The point is that we'll be fine, and that you worry too much." William chuckled. "Honestly, Michael is more than enough. He's head of security for a reason."

The younger man looked away sheepishly, while the woman rolled her aqua eyes. "Yes, yes, Leader, you've never lost a fight. But one day, you're going to have it handed to you, and when that happens, Leader, I get to laugh in your face, and say 'I told you so'."

Michael smirked. "Harsh, but William has nothing to worry about, Clarabelle. You never crack a smile, much less laugh." The white-haired man snorted in amusement as the woman glared at Michael.

"Like I said, we shouldn't have anything to worry about," William assured. "As we can see here, they're waiting. No traps, no army of 'savages' waiting in the bushes to leap out at us…I think, Clarabelle, you can stop acting like I'll drop dead if I step wrong."

"I'm your advisor, your wellbeing and safety is something I happen to also advise you on."

"And how well does he listen?" Michael asked.

"Shut it," William muttered, while the younger man snickered.

"What? You're not exactly the role model in that aspect," Michael teased.

"He has a point," Clarabelle said. "You hardly ever listen to my advice when it involves your own health."

"Because you worry far too much," William muttered. "I'd like to leave the Capital Building without needing a battalion following me."

She raised a brow at him. "You know why I prefer that. You're—"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Don't repeat what we all know. Besides, um…don't we have a meeting you two?"

William smiled. "So we do…let's see just who they are…" With that, he stepped forward, smiling as he looked to the lodge with bright red eyes.

* * *

 **Clarabelle, Michael, and William are my characters.**


	48. First Impressions

Frisk looked up from where they had slipped down to the ground, their gaze landing on Gerson and Dogamy quietly, and then down at their hands. Papyrus's scarf hid their upper palms, and bandages hid the others. Despite their wish to have another outfit, Mettaton had to inform them he couldn't work that fast and have something ready so soon.

The fusion sighed, and adjusted the hoodie, hiding their lower arms into it while coiling their tail up. They tried to draw the hood up, but their horns caused issues, much to their distaste. If they could have drawn it up, they could hide their ear fins.

Dogamy gave a soft sound, and instantly, their gazes turned, with Frisk narrowing their eyes, knowing how to hide that, at the very least. Three humans had come forth, and Frisk quickly took in everything. They looked at the younger man, who had black hair under his blue cap, and orange eyes. The uniform he wore told them that he was probably something akin to a police officer or a security guard.

They looked to the woman and figured that she was near the same age as the other. Her dark red hair was well cared for, just going past her shoulders. She was slim, and well dressed for the trek up the mountain. She was practically dressed, though Frisk took notice of a clipboard in her hands as she adjusted glasses over her aqua eyes. Toriel and Asgore saw her as an advisor, getting a calculating vibe off her.

Then, Frisk allowed their gaze to go to the final human. He was older than the others, middle aged, somewhere in his fifties, perhaps. Despite being dressed for the trek, there was a formal look to his appearance, yet, what drew Frisk's attention was his white hair. He may be older, but…it was snow white, without the slightest hint of gray. However, what caused Frisk to hide behind Gerson was the fact that he had crimson eyes.

The older man stepped forward; the other two watching warily, yet the older man seemed relaxed. Undyne mentally remarked that he seemed sure of his safety. Frisk squirmed a little. The man smiled pleasantly, and raised an empty hand. "Good afternoon…I suppose you were the ones my scientist ran into. To whom would I be speaking to exactly…?"

Dogamy stepped forth, raising his head slightly. "I am Dogamy, Captain of the Royal Guard."

The turtle raised his head. "The name's Gerson. I'm nothing official. Just take me as the old man people sometimes listen to."

The man nodded, and then leaned forward. "And the third behind you?" he asked curiously.

Gerson opened his mouth to speak, but Frisk tugged on his hand and stepped forward, looking up quietly as gentle voices urged them on. "…I'm Frisk," they stated softly. "I'm the Ambassador to the Monster Kingdom."

The man had a slight look of confusion, and obviously had a question, but it changed back to a smile. "Well, I suppose it's my turn to introduce myself, hm?"

"Please…?" Frisk asked. "It would probably help this meeting if we knew your names."

He chuckled. "Very well." He motioned to the young man. "This is Michael, head of security for the Capital."

Michael raised his hand. "Kind of a counterpart to a Royal Guard Captain, from what I'm gathering."

The older man smiled, and motioned to the woman. "And this is Clarabelle, my advisor—who may or may not be too good at her job."

"My apologies for being reliable," the woman replied with narrowed eyes.

Frisk could hear murmurs from Undyne and Sans. They were all rather relaxed despite having met monsters for the first time. Something was up…as if they had nothing to fear in the slightest, and knew that if something broke out…they'd walk away just fine. …Frisk didn't like that feeling.

They brought their attention back to the older man. "And my name is William. As you have a kingdom up here, it's obvious we have different forms of government. I'm referred to as 'Leader', down below."

"Basically," Gerson murmured. "You're at the top of your government. Is that right?"

William nodded, and then looked down at Frisk. "You sound rather young for an Ambassador. Am I to assume the…King and Queen will be the ones inside?"

Frisk shook their head. "Nuh-uh. We said only three would be in the meeting."

"Then shouldn't it have been the King and Queen who accompanied you?"

The fusion looked up. It seemed that currently, they assumed Frisk was just another monster. That may work…or it could end bad in the long run. "No. You found us at a bad time for meetings." They turned, and raised a hand toward the door. "Come inside?" they asked. "It's nothing fancy, but it's a long walk up…you'd probably like to rest."

"We'll accept your hospitality," William replied.

With that, Frisk and the monsters entered. The table they had brought was in the center of what would have been the living room of the house. Three seats were closer to the door, while the other three were closer to the stairs. Frisk and the monsters went to the farther seats, with Frisk taking the center, clambering into the chair, adjusting their position until they were comfortable.

Dogamy went to their right, while Gerson took the other side. William and the others took a quick glance at the inside of the house, with Michael's gaze staying on the doors upstairs for several moments. Undyne noted that he was recognizing the possibility that they had others hiding in there.

William took the center seat, with Clarabelle on his right. It was a moment later, before Michael finally sat down. Frisk, however, found themselves uncertain. "Well…you found us," they said, looking quietly up. "I suppose you're the one with questions."

William nodded. "Though I suppose it's only fair for you to ask questions as well, if you have any."

"You go first," they said.

"If you insist." The man breathed out. "Well, I guess I'll get straight to the point. In our old books, they mention a war a thousand years ago." Gerson tensed, and Dogamy's gaze briefly went to the turtle. "They said that we fought creatures that were labelled as monsters, and that we sealed them in this very mountain. Am I to assume your kind is one in the same?"

Frisk nodded, and let Toriel and Asgore lead their words. "Long ago, we both lived on the surface. There was a war…and the monster race were sealed within the mountain by a magical barrier."

"But you broke it somehow," William surmised.

Frisk nodded. "We did."

He rested his elbows on the table, hands folded. "You needed seven human souls, according to the tale." The three didn't react. "Is that true…?"

"It is," Frisk said simply. "Over the years, humans fall in."

"So you killed them?" Clarabelle asked.

William's gaze went to her, narrowing briefly as he frowned.

Frisk looked up swiftly, jerking control and influences away from the others. "I wouldn't know," they said. "Whether they died on their own, or were killed in some other manner, I wouldn't know. I wasn't there." They sighed. "And if they were killed, it was likely out of self-defense…and the wish to be free again."

"And then what?" Clarabelle asked. "Now that you're free?"

"Clarabelle," William said with a warning tone in his voice. "This is a negotiation, not an interrogation."

"I'm not—"

"Your tone, Clarabelle, is always an interrogating one," William said. "Enough."

Frisk dipped their head as they grimaced, feeling Undyne and Sans growing agitated within, and a few of the others feeling threatened. Even in the far back of their mind, they could sense Gaster going defensive over how Clarabelle was. Frisk tried to reason that the humans were as suspicious of monsters, as they were to humans. Though Frisk only seemed to reason with Toriel.

"…we mean no one harm," Frisk assured. "All the monster kingdom wants is to live under the sun again. Yes, we've had the barrier broken for a while…we wanted to have a bit of a village here before we came down to contact any humans. …you found us first though, so now it's come to this."

William breathed out, thinking over Frisk's words. "I see…" His gaze went to the side. "I have another question." Frisk glanced after him, and then felt a chill. "…who was attacked here? Someone did a decent job at cleaning up, but…blood is hard to remove."

Frisk couldn't help as they clutched at their chest, flashes of the attack racing through their mind. Gerson jerked, and grabbed their shoulders. "Kid?" he asked worriedly. "Kid, what's wrong?"

"M—mine," they stammered, their breathing erratic. "…it was mine."

Concern came over William's face, his red eyes studying Frisk. "What attacked you?"

Frisk quietly looked up, the voices stirring, trying to figure out what to say, and how to say it. "A human. A human attacked our kingdom. I…was saved, but there were victims."

"This house is new," Michael said quietly. "The attack had to of been recent…that's why we're not talking to a King and Queen, isn't it? You're recovering from the attack, but…you just said one human, right?"

"Precisely why you don't need to fear us," Frisk said. "Most of us fought defensively, and tried to reason with them…"

Dogamy and Gerson looked down at the table, with the canine closing his hands tight. Then, Dogamy spoke. "We mean no harm to you. Currently, we just want to live outside of the mountain that's been our prison for nearly a thousand years."

"Well, we're going to have to talk quite a bit about this," William said. "Now, I don't know what happened a thousand years ago. And I can't trust my old dusty books to the letter about it either. After all, most of us thought they were just old tales of fiction."

Dogamy folded his arms. "And what kind of talking about this do you have in mind?"

"Well, technically, this mountain belongs to our city—"

Gerson's eyes narrowed. "You plan to just kick us off it, or have us pay heftily to stay here, aren't you?"

"Whoa—hold it," William said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Let me finish." Frisk gently rested a hand on the turtle's, knowing he remembered the war. He remembered the humans, and wouldn't easily trust them.

William smiled once things settled. "I'm not the kind of person to kick anyone off their homeland. In fact, we don't use the mountain for anything really. Honestly, it's probably more your land than ours. The problem does not lie in me. You see…what is it that you want?"

"To live outside," Frisk said. "We want to just live together outside."

"The request is simple enough," William said. "And I have no issue extending a hand out to your kind. I have no legal tape to cross either. However…"

Michael tapped his fingers together. "It'd be the rest of the humans you'd have to worry about. Most of us at least know the old tale…"

Frisk heard Dogamy and Gerson talk to the younger man, questioning how bad that could get. The kind of behavior that could be—and mostly likely would—be directed to the monsters. Yet Frisk focused more on William. It seemed…too easy, that he'd extend a hand, and yet…Frisk wasn't sure, but he seemed to have an air of honesty about him.

It wasn't to say that everything he said would be the truth, but…Frisk and the others couldn't supply words for it. At the very least, he came forth and gave them fair warning that he couldn't control how the rest of his city would behave over their appearance. "Though I have a few other questions that may not pertain to making an agreement," William said as the other conversation reached a conclusion.

Frisk looked up and William continued. "Michael said that the house is new…and that seems like a big wound considering what's left on the floor and the wall. Yet, you don't seem to be injured."

"I'm…good at recovering from injuries."

"Huh…then I have one extra question for you," William said, leaning forward. "You have some strange attributes, but no matter how I look at you…are you really a monster?" Frisk ceased their movement. "Everything about you seems mostly human."

Gerson and Dogamy looked at each other, and Frisk breathed out. Well, if this backfired, they could reset. They might as well try honesty. "…I was human," they admitted. "I helped break the barrier after I had fallen in…but…" They closed their hands tightly. "After that attack, there was an accident. This was the result."

"An accident?" Michael asked in bewilderment, while Clarabelle watched everything quietly with piercing eyes.

"I tried to save everyone," Frisk said simply. "I did something dangerous…thankfully, it can't happen again."

William looked at Frisk, and, to the child's relief, he thankfully moved to another topic, deciding, that, if he would ever talk about it again, it'd be at a later date. "So how did a human become Ambassador?"

"Because this little kid earned our respect," Gerson stated simply. "The day the barrier broke, our King had asked them to be our Ambassador."

"I was human still; I thought it'd help…" Frisk murmured. "Because I know these monsters. They don't want another war. They just want to live under the sun again, the way it should have been." Frisk knew that the King and Queen were influencing their words again near the end of it, but they didn't mind.

Frisk sighed. "…you're going to have to tell your city about us soon though, won't you? We can't be ready in time…"

William sighed. "I could try to prolong them finding out, but…I don't think those two guards we sent are all that tight-lipped. I wouldn't be surprise if word is already flying around. I'm going to get swarmed on the way back as is."

"We understand," Frisk said. "It's not easy to keep quiet about something like this." They quietly looked back up. "…what do we want to talk about though? In regards to…everything?"

"Well, I can see if I can't reason with everyone," William said. "I mean, I don't think everyone will be at everyone's throats. Besides, it was a thousand years ago. Anyone alive then, isn't now." Gerson had to hold back a snort. "In short, if you don't want that involved, I won't involve it to the best of my abilities."

Frisk listened quietly to some of the voices, and then looked up. "Do you think it would be easier if we abandoned our monarchy?"

William paused, and then breathed out quietly. "Yes…and, well no. It might help for a little bit first hand, but honestly…" William's bright eyes seemed to dim. "You should hold onto it. As much as I have no issue with this kind of thing, others will, and if it falls apart…you need something to immediately jump back to."

Still, there was uncertainty on both sides, and the next hour consisted of them talking and sorting things out. William and Frisk did most of the talking, though the others added their opinions on certain things. Though, as it ended up standing, was that William would try to gently lower the facts to his city.

Both sides agreed that if it was even possible for them to coexist, it would have to be taken slowly. Frisk didn't mind that fact. Eventually would be better than never. Even if it took some years to fully integrate in human society, William still assured they could at least have the outside of Ebott to live on.

However, that was just the basics, and William suggested that within a week's time, that Frisk and the two should come down to the city. If this was to end well, everyone would have to work for it. Inwardly, the child felt overwhelmed, but the others were assuring the child that they could do it. Though deep down, Frisk wasn't quite sure. They were juggling the minds of their leaders within, and were playing multiple roles.

The humans stood to finally leave, but as they did, Clarabelle turned, adjusting her glasses. "You are certainly a cautious type, with one more hiding in the woods, watching the house."

Dogamy raised his head, and then smirked, fangs showing slightly. "Yes, well, it's better than having a dozen or so hiding over the ridge, waiting for a signal to come down on top of us."

She froze, eyes widening, while William turned in confusion. "A dozen or so…Clarabelle, we're the only ones that came…right?"

Her gaze slowly went to the older man. "Well…"

"Clarabelle," he said, his tone going stern. "We talked about this. You need to stop going behind my back on things. Especially negotiations."

"And what was I supposed to do if you got killed?" she whispered harshly, though Dogamy and Frisk easily heard it.

"Dying is the least of my worries," the man assured with an air of confidence. "I won't be killed easily. Now go," he said, gently pushing her toward the door. Once she stepped out, he turned, and shook his head. "My apologies. I doubt that made a good first impression."

Gerson gave a snort, folding his arms. "Not really surprised, sadly."

William sighed, and then left along with Michael.

Dogamy breathed out. "Well…how did that actually go?"

Frisk looked up…and then smiled. "We think it went okay with all things considered."

Gerson smirked a little, and then ruffled their hair. "Good to hear, Neck-Warmer. Anyways…what's your plan?"

"…to not save unless we need to," Frisk murmured. "Just in case." They looked up. "We'll just see how things go. If things go on the worst path…then I'll make sure it never happened in the first place." While William had a nice outer personality…Frisk and the others couldn't be certain if every word was an honest one.


	49. Lower our Guard

**Uploads shall be hastened vastly starting today. Should be at least one chapter a day, but I'll try to stay on top of things.  
**

* * *

As the three headed back, their attention was drawn to the trees as Napstablook floated into view, fading into sight. "How…how did it go…?" Napstablook asked quietly.

"It went all right," Dogamy said. "I think…"

"The humans somehow found out about you, however," Gerson said.

"What? But I…"

Gerson chuckled. "Don't worry. Dogamy figured out they were hiding a whole bunch more nearby."

"…how is that funny…?"

The turtle smirked. "Just the way this pup decided to let them know."

Dogamy smiled. "Well, if that woman was going to be so smug about it…"

"What were they like…?" the ghost asked hesitantly. "Do you think we have to worry about fighting…oh no…I don't think we can handle that right now…"

Gerson shrugged helplessly as he put Frisk on his shoulders. "Hard to say…though if we do go to war, I don't think it'll be right away. They know that we'll see them coming one way or another."

"I'm sorry…I should have hidden better…I don't know how they saw me…"

"They might have sensed you more than they saw you," Dogamy said. "As a ghost, you're made purely of magic, after all. You're the easiest type to sense on a magic scale."

"Oh no…" Napstablook moaned. "I'm sorry, I should have thought of that…maybe I wasn't the best choice for this."

"Nonsense," Gerson replied. "If something went wrong, you'd be back in the kingdom in an instant. It's not like they can chase you through solid rock, now can they?"

"Oh…I…I guess not," Napstablook replied as they headed back into the Underground. "But um…now what?"

Gerson shrugged. "Not quite sure as of yet. I think one of the humans will come up in about a week…their leader was saying something about bringing some of us down around then after he smooths things down as much as possible…"

"Oh…I guess we'll just have to wait," the ghost mumbled. "I really hope this ends well…we don't want to do anything to them."

"Yes," Dogamy said. "But they don't know that. Same as us not knowing what they want to do to the monsters. We'll just have to go forward and hope for the best," he said as they travelled through the golden hall.

Napstablook stopped at the elevator. "I guess so…anyways, I need to head back to the lab to help Mettaton…and…Grillby wanted to talk to me, so I should probably get going."

"All right," Gerson said. "Take care. Dogamy and I need to talk and—" He paused and looked up. "What was that, Neck-Warmer…you want to go with Napstablook?" He listened a bit more. "Right…you have some things to do in Hotlands…" He sighed. "Fine, but be back in time for dinner, ya hear?"

Frisk nodded as they were set down, and then went into the elevator with Napstablook. They waved, and then were separated. Despite that Napstablook could have flown straight to their destination, they decided to stay as they wanted to keep Frisk company for a bit. Once they reached the third floor of Hotlands though, they went their separate ways, as Frisk wasn't going straight to the Lab.

The strange fusion went west and soon found themselves in Muffet's parlor. With a little confusion, but with Muffet's inner guidance, they found the entrance to her home. Muffet had wanted to go home to check on her pet and spiders. She knew they could handle themselves, but with everything a little hectic, it had slipped everyone's minds that they needed to alert them that Muffet wasn't coming back anytime soon.

Though, once they got to the door, it occurred to them now that they didn't have a key. Muffet guided Frisk's movements, and they knocked a rhythm on the door. They waited expectantly, and finally, a few minutes later, they heard the click of the lock. Frisk slowly opened the door, glancing up to see spiders going up threads away from the door knob.

Frisk waved one hand at them, wiggling their fingers as they closed the door behind them. "Cupcake?" they called from Muffet's worrying. A minute later, the strange monster came into sight, skittering over. It blinked slowly, and then gave a whine of confusion. He recognized the human, but at the same time…

The human looked around. "Um…" They could see spiders watching them from certain areas of the house. "I've got…news…" Cupcake whined, tilting his head the other way—though when he tilted his head, he more or less tilted his whole body.

Frisk sighed, and allowed the others to come forth. Carefully, they explained what they knew to the spiders and the pet. That Muffet was alive—but greatly injured—and so she wouldn't be returning as soon as she had hoped. The spiders began chittering, and Frisk oddly understood them.

The fusion answered their questions as best they could, and then raised all four hands, trying to get another word in. "I promise, I'll be going down to the lab today…I'll try to see if there isn't anything we can do to help her recover sooner…"

Eventually, they were able to calm them down, with promises that they could visit, though the fusion decided to leave out the awkward fact that Muffet was technically not there to be visited. It was best to keep it simple, as no one had the real interest of explaining the fusion thing over and over.

Still, they opted to stay a while to help take care of Cupcake, and then help the spiders make the next day's bakery items. Due to Muffet being a smaller monster, Frisk was able to move about the kitchen with relative ease, allowing Muffet to do most of the leading. Though, the spider found it difficult to work when she was looking around in a different perspective, and was short by two hands.

In the end, they managed it, much to the spider's relief. With Muffet gone, they had been running ragged to make ends meet. Frisk found themselves promising to try to come in often to help until Muffet was back on her feet…which would hopefully be soon.

Before they left, Cupcake bumped into them with a quiet grunt, nudging at their legs as he grabbed the end of the hoodie in his mouth. Frisk turned, and then rested a hand on his head, petting him, murmuring soft apologies to him. The former human felt responsible for it, as Muffet had no obligation to actually go down into the Abyss with them…she didn't have to get hurt…she didn't have to be in this situation.

However, standing there apologizing wasn't going to get them anywhere, and so Frisk finally forced themselves to leave, and head to the Lab.

Down in the lower lab, Grillby sat beside Muffet's frail form, watching her quietly. He glanced up from time to time to look at the little human ghost that had come to visit again. Finally, he spoke. "I asked someone to come down here soon," he said. "They're a ghost monster…they might be able to understand you."

Due to Chara's inability to communicate vocally to him, or be able to pick up something to write with, Grillby had to guess through charades through what little conversation they did have. So, he figured that perhaps Napstablook could be of help, but he had decided to give the human fair warning.

They looked up, uncertain. "I told them that they're to keep this a secret…and I find them to be an honest monster. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you may leave," he informed them.

Chara thought it over, their ghostly form dimming. They didn't want to, but they knew the elemental would likely continue insisting on it if they kept coming back here. True, they didn't have to stay. They didn't owe anything to these monsters or the broken soul, but…the truth of the matter was that they didn't have anywhere to go.

They couldn't go back to the grave…it wasn't like they could go back into their dormant slumber. What they wanted was Asriel, as he was the reason they couldn't continue onwards peacefully. However, finding him would be difficult—if it was even possible. Chara knew it was a risk now, to go into the Abyss for him. There wasn't anything to be done…

So the ghost was alone and homeless. They didn't have anyone to turn to, or anywhere to go. It seemed best to let the elemental try whatever was in his mind. After he had released them from his hold, they were no longer concerned with what he would do to them. Even if he did change his mind and grabbed them again…it just didn't seem to matter anymore.

They nodded, and Grillby's flames softened. It wasn't long before someone poked their head through the ceiling, and Chara instantly hid under the beds. "Um…Grillby…I'm here. Sorry that I'm late, some things came up…oh no, I should have called."

"It's all right," Grillby assured.

"So…who am I meeting?"

Grillby chuckled. "They're hiding, but…" Grillby moved over to the bed, and knelt down. "You can come out, little one. I promise, we won't hurt you."

Slowly, the little ghost human came into sight. Napstablook gasped, and flew down to their level. "Oh no…the poor thing. Hey…are you…are you all right?" Chara's form flashed brightly, and they flew into the wall, before poking their head out again, their magical form pulsing.

Napstablook watched, seemingly mesmerized, before smiling quietly. "Oh…it's okay. I can understand why you're scared." The human jerked back in surprise, while Grillby breathed out in relief. Napstablook smiled. "Hey…Grillby wants to talk to you…so…I can translate for you…are you…okay with that?"

They nodded slowly. Grillby seemed to smile. "Very well…let's start simple. What's your name, little one?"

The human looked up, and responded. "Chara."

Grillby looked between the two, and nodded. "Well, Chara…I'd like to learn a little more about you."

Their conversation went for a while, with Chara answering the basics, but they made it clear that some of their tale was better left a mystery. Though it was obvious that Grillby wanted to know more, but after learning what little they would tell of themselves, he decided to wait until later before talking to them again.

Upstairs, Mettaton groaned, and leaned back. "I'm not getting anywhere with this…" he moaned.

"That makes two of us," Felix said as he sat on the floor, trying to fix some small contraption. "What are you even trying to do?"

"Mind numbing research on Frisk's condition," Mettaton replied with a moan. "I'm getting nowhere…"

Felix nodded with a grunt as he held a screw in his mouth as he fiddled with the thing. "Sorry about that," he managed. At least he had instructions for what he was doing, while Mettaton had to take stabs in the dark and hope he found something.

The robot paused as someone tapped his arm. He looked down, and saw Frisk. The robot smiled tiredly. "There's the little darling. How are you, Frisk?" They gave a quiet smile, and then looked at the computer. They paused, and then reached forward, typing something in. "Um…Frisk?"

"It's a good start," they said with a distracted tone in their voice. "But, Mettaton, I think we should start with seeing if we can transplant a soul. Perhaps if Muffet is out of our equation, and back in her body, this would all work…"

Mettaton stared. "Um…Alphys?"

Frisk jerked, and then looked up sheepishly. "Eh-heh…yeah, sorry…"

The robot nodded. "I'll start looking into that right away, Alphys. I'm sure everyone would be happy to get Muffet back into her body…but…still going to take a while."

"Stands to reason," was the reply. "However, it'll be worth it if we can pull this off."

Felix stood with the finished contraption, and came over. "Anything I can do to help with this?"

The fusion paused, everyone thinking quietly. "Well…" Frisk looked up at the feline. "Do you know any purple magic users?"

"Actually, I do," Felix replied. "Catty's got purple magic…why do you ask?"

The fusion blinked, and then slapped a hand over their face. "I'm an idiot!" Frisk then yelped, clutching their head. The two monsters instantly dropped to their knees, holding the fusion steady so that they wouldn't fall. They groaned, but it seemed Alphys was still present. "I completely forgot her magic types—it's just been so long since I talked to them! Thank you, Felix!"

Felix rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "No problem, but um…why do we need a purple magic user?"

Mettaton gave a hum, and then snapped his fingers. "Muffet has purple magic; therefore, their souls should be similar. It'd be safer and more effective to research Catty's soul to see how we can safely take Muffet's back."

"Oh…hey, I'm on okay terms with her. Should I be the one that talks to her about this?"

Mettaton looked to the fusion, who nodded. The robot smiled. "Go on ahead, Felix."

"Right, I'm off to do that right now," Felix said, setting the contraption on the desk, and hurrying out, lighting a cigarette as he did so. Frisk realized that now would be a good time to ask Mettaton their other question, before Alphys had a reason to take the front seat again.

They tapped Mettaton to get his attention, and asked if he was able to work on the thing they asked for. Mettaton shook his head. "Darling, I may be able to perform wonders, but not miracles. I need a bit more time than that to get it ready." He knelt, and tapped their nose, causing them to go cross-eyed. "But don't worry, I'll let you know the moment it's done. Now, I think it's getting late. You should hurry back before the old fossil comes looking for you again."

That night, when Frisk fell asleep, they found themselves in the Echo Flower field, along with the others within their mind, aside from Gaster, who was hidden away, where he belonged, cloaking prominent thoughts that could prove troublesome. Frisk was called over by Sans, and so they scampered over, sitting between him and Papyrus. "Hey, Kid, we need to talk about all of that. K with that?"

They nodded, and so it began, with Undyne being the first. "I really don't like that lady," she said, folding her arms. "She purposely had a whole group of humans waiting to come tear us to pieces."

"Easy," Toriel soothed. "We once had a guard with similar traits to her, Undyne."

Undyne looked up. "Seriously?"

Asgore sighed, thinking back to it fondly. "Yes. They were perhaps a little too good at their job. Clarabelle's actions, while causing distrust to us, were meant to keep her Leader safe. She seems rather protective of him."

"Y—yeah, but…" Alphys murmured. "She wasn't even a guard…Michael was."

"He seemed quite friendly though," Papyrus said.

"That friendliness could just be an act," Sans replied. "After all, if they put on friendly faces, we might lower our guard."

"Regardless," Muffet murmured nervously. "N…next week. Will we really do it?"

"It would be the best course of action under normal circumstances," Toriel said. "I just wish we were all in our own bodies. It would make this much easier…"

Sans looked over to Frisk and ruffled their hair. "Well, if worse comes to worst…we'll still pull through, one way or another. Frisk hasn't touched the save file yet. So we'll just see how it goes. If we get kicked back, well, we hide the entrance, simple as that."

Frisk nodded, giving their assurance. They were willing to give this a try, but, they knew it could go wrong. "This William, though…" Sans murmured. "Don't you think he was a little too confident?"

Asgore dipped his head with a soft rumble. "He seemed to believe he was the strongest in the room…as if he would win the fight before it even began."

"He's probably just a thick-headed arrogant human," Undyne insisted. "Just let me toss some spears at him, and then he won't be so high and mighty."

"I don't think we should throw spears at him!" Papyrus argued. "They're humans after all—they may have more health than Frisk—normally, but…I couldn't tell by how much from that first meeting."

Toriel breathed out. "Their health likely changes based on age and…other things…no one human is likely to have the same amount of health."

"That's true," Papyrus replied. "That other human's health was many times Frisk's…" The child shuddered, remembering the insane human swinging their blade about, not having to worry about most attacks.

"Then," Asgore murmured. "Is there anything else we need to settle?" The group spoke quietly, sorting out the last bits of what they planned to do. Soon enough, they would have that meeting with the humans.


	50. Time had Halted

Frisk played with one of the scarf knots nervously, biting their lip. They were outside the lodge with Gerson and Dogamy, waiting. A week had gone by, and now, they were waiting on the humans again. Gerson tapped a foot out of impatience, while Dogamy kept his ears perked, listening carefully while also paying mind to the wind, knowing he had a good chance of catching their scents again like he did last time.

Quiet murmurs reached Frisk, assuring them that things would be fine. They'd manage somehow. Though Frisk knew that once they went down there, it would all come out. It wasn't like monsters could just blend into a crowd. So long as people were quiet about the entrance …it should be fine.

Dogamy raised his head. "There's one coming, I recognize the scent." They turned, looking to where the canine's gaze was, and sure enough, a lone human came up into view. From the outfit alone, they knew it was Michael.

The human finally came closer, and seemed slightly out of breath. "Well, I hope we eventually find a nice way up this mountain," he managed with a shaky smile. "It takes a while to climb up. Our vehicles can't handle the terrain…or safely land."

Dogamy and Gerson stared at him in confusion, while Frisk mumbled a simple explanation to them. "Anyways," Michael managed. "Are…you ready to go? I'm afraid we'll have to trek all the way down before we can ride to the Capital Building."

The canine looked at the human quietly. "We may be, but are you?"

"Y—yeah," Michael replied. "Just gotta catch my breath."

"Care for some tea?" Gerson asked simply. "We can wait a little bit for you to recuperate."

Frisk nodded. "It's a long walk—especially if you're not used to it," they said, remembering their own trek up Ebott.

"Uh—no," Michael replied. "I probably shouldn't…"

The former human giggled. "It's really good—don't worry. If you think it's poison, it's not. If we killed you, the humans below would come raging down on us. We don't want a war." They looked up innocently. "Well, if he doesn't want any…can I have some, Grandpa Gerson?"

Gerson ruffled their hair. "Sure thing, Neck-Warmer." To Michael's bewilderment, the turtle drew out what he needed from his shell, and soon enough, the child had their tea, drinking it quietly. Gerson raised it up. "Sure you don't want any?"

"Well…"

Dogamy snorted. "If it had poison in it, I wouldn't be able to stand near these two. Your wariness is warranted however."

The human finally gave in. "I guess…I'll…have some then?"

Gerson smiled, and handed him the cup. "Here ya are," he said, watching Michael take a cautious sip, before blinking in surprise.

Frisk looked up. "It's kinda weird isn't it? But it's good…" Their first bit of monster food had surprised them as well, due to its ability to rejuvenate a human soul.

Michael just gave a quiet nod, and when he finished, Gerson took the cups back. "Well, guess we better get a move on, huh?"

With that, the group followed the human down the mountain. It was a bit of a trek, and under normal circumstances, the old turtle would have been complaining, but after all that walking in the Abyss, the only difficult thing was the steepness of the trail at some points.

Frisk got tired nearly halfway down, and to ease it up on the turtle, Dogamy decided to carry them instead, perching them effortlessly on his shoulders. They eventually reached an area where the ground was beginning to smooth out, and soon enough, Michael led them to a black vehicle, a jeep perhaps, that was meant to take on rougher terrain.

Michael opened the back doors, and then got into the driver's seat. He turned it on, causing Dogamy to jump back out of alarm, and even Gerson was caught off guard. Michael glanced to them in muddled confusion, while Frisk had to wait for the pounding in their head to go away, as nearly half of their occupants didn't expect the machine to roar to life like that.

Once things settled, Frisk whispered to Dogamy and Gerson, assuring them that it was all right, that it was a machine humans used to go from place to place faster. Reluctantly, they entered the back, with Frisk taking the middle seat. The child looked around; taking note that Michael had opened all the windows, and was tapping the wheel.

He seemed…agitated about something, but he hadn't until they got in the car. Frisk tilted their head, some of the monsters feeling suspicious about the behavior. Frisk turned their attention to Dogamy and Gerson, instructing them on how to use the seatbelts, deciding to worry about that later.

Michael glanced back at them, making sure they were ready, before finally putting the vehicle in gear. Frisk glanced to Dogamy, seeing his claws dig into the seat briefly. They gently reached over and grabbed his paw with a smile, assuring him it would be all right. Eventually, he calmed down.

Dogamy glanced to the window, feeling the wind rushing in, and blowing back his fur. He leaned closer, feeling the urge to stick his head out the window, but upon seeing the city, he jerked his head away. It turned out, that, by car, the drive wasn't all that long. In under five minutes, they were already passing by stray buildings.

"See that building towering over the rest?" Michael asked. The three peered out the windows to spot an off-white building in the center of the city, standing proud and tall. Frisk wouldn't call it a castle or a palace, but it seemed old, and ancient, compared to everything else around it. "That's the Capital Building—that's where we're heading."

Gerson looked at it. "Heh, certainly a little fancy. Nothing like the castle though." Frisk shook their head with a smile, though from Asgore's thoughts, they knew the castle was still bigger than the other building.

The ride was quiet for the most part, with the monsters carefully peering out the windows, looking at the city as they drove by. Houses went by, then small businesses and public buildings like schools and the like, before they got into the more dense area, full of factories, and then, at long last, they reached their destination.

"Now," Michael murmured, reluctantly rolling up the windows. "We did have to finally tell people about you, because, some two people couldn't keep their mouths shut…so…there's going to be other humans waiting to just pounce on you for answers, and…the best idea is to just run for the door. I'll cover you." Even as he spoke, people began to gather around the car.

"This sounds like it'll end well," Gerson muttered sarcastically.

Michael sighed. "Sorry," he said, his orange eyes brightening as he opened the door.

High up in the Capital Building, William and Clarabelle had watched as the vehicle pulled up near the front doors. "So they're here, Leader," Clarabelle stated as she adjusted her glasses.

"So they are," he replied calmly.

She sighed. "Are you sure about this? They're the monsters from those old tales. If they're real then…"

William chuckled. "We are not the same humans from a thousand years ago; therefore, they are not the same monsters from a thousand years ago. Don't you think they at least deserve the chance?"

"I'm just concerned, Leader," she said quietly. "What if nothing's changed? What if they want revenge for being trapped for so long? War would break out—people will die."

"That's just the chance we have to take, because look on the other side of it, Clarabelle. If it works out, and we unify…it works out for everyone. The monsters are no longer trapped. We don't lose anything."

"I don't see what we gain either," Clarabelle replied.

William snorted. "It doesn't have to be an obvious gain. It could be as simple as having allies. I for one, want to at least give it a try."

"But what if something happens to you, Leader? Because of this…you know I worry because right now, all the others…"

"I know." William sighed, his red eyes dimming. "Those who could take my place if something happened to me have just vanished. Of course I'm worried, but…" He smiled. "I may have found a solution of sorts."

"A solution?" Clarabelle asked, adjusting her glasses. Then she gasped. "Do you mean someone—"

He raised a finger. "Tsk, tsk," he said, waving it. "I haven't confirmed anything yet. I just have a hunch." He glanced back down, and then shook his head. "Oh dear, Clarabelle. I think Michael's being overwhelmed."

She looked down to see the man trying to keep a swarm of humans—reporters and the like—away from the monsters. Dogamy and Gerson were trying to get to the doors, with little Frisk clinging to them in alarm, with the monsters trying to shield themselves away from camera flashes and the like.

Clarabelle huffed. "You are going to fire those two yellow-eyes, will you not? Look at this little mess their loose lips caused."

"That's for Michael to decide," William said. "Though there will be repercussions, I'm sure. He's certainly not appreciating this moment." The man drew a hand over his face. "Clarabelle, would you be a dear and go help him? I'm sure you could at least distract the men…" He laughed as she lightly smacked him with her clipboard.

"Leader!" she scolded as she blushed a little. "Fine, I'll go save him…but I admit I do enjoy watching him struggle with crowd control…"

The man smiled. "Hark, she has emotions."

She sighed, and then hurried off. William glanced back down watching the scene play out. "Well, the world will know…now I wonder, little Ambassador…where are we going to from here?"

"I said no comment!" Michael exclaimed. "For the love of the—"

The doors opened, and Clarabelle stepped out. "All right, knock it off…" When the crowd didn't subside, she raised a hand, her aqua eyes glowing as her respective magic rose and formed a wall. "Unless you want some injuries, don't move!"

Michael stumbled back, and then smiled at the woman. "You came for me, I feel so loved."

She rolled her eyes. "The Leader asked me to come save you."

"I can dream," Michael joked as he ushered the monsters in, with her following quickly. She lowered her magic as Michael slammed and bolted the doors shut, sliding down in exhaustion. "Gods, I hate when the press comes down on us like a pack of ferocious animals."

"Ferocious animals?" William asked as he came down the stairs. "My, are you all right?" he asked with a smile. "They didn't maul you did they?"

"Pretty close," Michael groaned.

Gerson looked over to the older man. "That was quite the welcome, in my opinion…"

William sighed. "Apologies. The word got out way too fast—and from the wrong mouths. There wasn't much else we could do, but I assure you, those wrong mouths will have a stern talking to."

"Bet on it," Michael grumbled as he stood back up, while Dogamy picked up Frisk, nuzzling them briefly. They accepted the snuggling; it made them feel a bit more relaxed.

The older man stepped forth. "Regardless, how about you come on in? I know Michael wouldn't mind a drink after all that fuss." With that, he led the way through the building, and brought them to a mostly open room with a glass table, and a comfortable couch and chairs. The little monster group took the couch, while William sat down, and asked Michael and Clarabelle to go fetch a few things.

For a bit, they talked 'business' over what to do, finding some agreements, and some other things that still needed to be worked on. Clarabelle brought back drinks as they all talked, before taking a seat. Michael eventually returned as well with a large folded piece of paper that William took from him before he sat down.

"Now this might be a little premature of me," William said. "But I thought I ought to show you a map of the city," he said as he unfolded it. It was big enough to nearly take the whole table between them. "Now, the city is kind of divided into rings," he started, pointing at the very center. "We're here, in the heart of it. Now, working our way out from the center…"

"Surrounding the capital is our business district, basically, people with bigger companies that will branch into smaller areas. Factories, major shopping districts and the like are found here."

"The next ring," he continued, motioning over it with his hand. "Is where smaller businesses are. Like family owned restaurants, as well as other public places. Like the schools and libraries. The next ring would be the residential area, where most of our civilians live."

"The final ring, while technically the largest, is mostly left untouched," William explained. "It's basically where our parks are, though you'll probably find a few homes here and there, even if they're pretty far apart." Frisk leaned forward, looking at it quietly, eyeing the last ring where it was closest to the base of the mountain.

Gerson eyed the map, nodding quietly, and then he tapped the upper right corner. "So this water source cutting through your city here…I'm assuming this bay opens up to the ocean?"

Clarabelle adjusted her glasses. "You'd be correct."

Dogamy perked. "There's a bridge. What's on the other side?"

"Mostly government related buildings," William replied.

"Aren't they kinda far…?" Frisk asked, though it wasn't fully their say so, and Frisk could hear Undyne and Alphys being chided for stepping forth like that.

Michael smiled. "Well, our scientists are good at making explosions. For the sake of this building, they're way over there."

"Though," Clarabelle murmured. "We're working on making that area an extension for all parts of the city. It just keeps growing, after all."

"That won't be for another decade or two," William assured. "As we'll need to find a place to move our explosive scientists…and the other things."

Gerson looked up. "Ya don't have to dance around the fact that you do have an army." The three humans glanced to him in surprise. "I'm old, not senile," Gerson replied. "Gotta try harder than this if you want to hide things from me." Michael rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Besides, it evens things out," the turtle said. "You have your army, we have our guard. We expected that."

"Perhaps," William said. "I just worry about this going smoothly, that's all."

The turtle smirked. "Unless you point weapons at us, I think we'll be fine."

For a little while, the conversation continued, until William stood. "Would it be all right if I talked to your Ambassador for a few moments alone?"

Frisk slipped off the couch. "…it's fine," they assured the other two monsters.

The man smiled, and then started to lead Frisk out of the room, but then paused. "Oh, could you grab the map please? I just remembered something." Frisk stared, and then turned, darting back into the room they just exited, but they halted, feeling and seeing changes.

The room, while not having much color before, was now oddly dark and gray…and as they looked to the others, both the humans and monsters…Frisk found that they were no longer moving, halted in mid action. Frisk's dual colored eyes snapped open wide, with Sans shouting to them that time had halted.

Now Frisk realized there was a familiarity to it. They remembered when they had been at Grillby's, long ago with Sans. He stopped time back then, to talk to them about the golden flower. This was the same thing except…it wasn't because of Sans.

"Hm…" William said as they whipped around, his red eyes dim as he looked at them quietly. He was the only one aside from them, who wasn't devoid of color. "You're not changed in the slightest. Perhaps, before your accident…" He knelt to be at their eye level, and they stepped back warily. "You had red eyes, did you not?"

Frisk froze, staring at him. "Well, I guess that answers that."

"Wh—what did you do?" they stammered, heart racing. "What did you do to them!?"

"Relax," William said, holding his hands up. "They're not being harmed in any way. I simply stopped the time in this room. I wanted to test something, and talk to you privately." He wiped a hand over his forehead. "I'm starting to get a little old for a time bubble of this size…"

"Time…bubble…?" they asked nervously.

William reached forward, and gently hooked their chin to get them to look at him. "Relax, child. I have no intention of harming you. I'll let the time here go back to normal, but first, I just wanted to clarify things with you. I want to make sure we're on the same page."

"Same page as what?"

"Several things. First, and foremost…Frisk." He looked at them squarely. "You're not being forced or hurt by the monsters are you?"

The child was taken aback, and Undyne's temper showed through. "Wh—what would make you ask something like that!?"

He stayed calm. "Child, I only have old dusty books about what happened a thousand years ago, as far as they go, monsters are vicious, and terrible creatures. I need to make sure that they're not using you. This is a safe place, right here. Whatever you say, they'll never hear. They'll never know. If they're hurting you, this is your chance to escape."

Frisk shook their head. "Monsters aren't like that anymore—if they ever were." Frisk's voice began to waver over their words, and they shut their eyes, trying to avoid crying. "The monsters I met—they're all nice. They're friends or family—they're not using me!" Frisk broke free of the others, using their own words, shouting from the core of their being.

"They're the nicest ever! I don't care what stupid old books say, because they're wrong! Even the most vicious monster…had their kind sides. A—All they w—wanted was to be outside again. I'm not…not something they ever used. It was my choice to go up there…it was my choice to trek through their kingdom…and try to save them all."

Frisk felt tears, and William stared, stunned, as the tears were nothing he had ever seen before. They were fluorescent, glowing either orange or blue from whichever eye they seeped from. "Th—they're my friends…" They quivered, and then looked up at him. "They're my family, and that'll never, ever change!"

The monsters within their mind stirred in alarm. Frisk was always the quiet one, but most of that had all been their choice. The nearly silent child had a reason to raise their voice. William looked at them, and sighed softly, pulling something out of his shirt pocket. A handkerchief.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, and held it out. "Here, dry your tears." Hesitantly, they took it, and slowly wiped them away. "I just had to make sure. I do want to give this a shot, but I had to make sure you weren't being quietly strung around against your will." Frisk nodded, the souls within noting that he wouldn't have been far off had it been the other human that made it down.

He breathed out. "I think it's obvious that we'll need to talk some more, especially since you don't seem to know about your own magical abilities. However, I think I've done a bit too much as it is today…though I also think that we're going to have our hands full within the next month…and you'd probably appreciate if our next conversation wasn't in a little time bubble."

Frisk nodded silently. "Very well. I'll resume time. However, we need to step out to make them think we had a conversation in real time. If Clarabelle learned I did this, she's going to be very ticked." He gave a sheepish chuckle. "Here, how about I take you to the gardens? The next time we have a chance…we'll talk about this, because you are a very special child, and you need to know this, before you stumble upon it from another source, at a bad time."

The child frowned in confusion, but slowly nodded, allowing him to lead the way, as the color, and time, returned to the room.


	51. Has no Reason

The weeks after that meeting were a blur to the child, and yet, they seemed to pass agonizingly slowly. Since word had gotten out, things had to step up their pace and it also meant a lot of conferences, and meetings. Right now though, the child was so exhausted that they were sitting on Gerson's lap in a chair outside one of the meetings, with their head throbbing.

Gerson gently coaxed them into taking some medicine to help ease the throbbing in their head due to the clamoring of the monsters within their mind. Frisk sighed, and leaned against the turtle. They were tired, but more so mentally than physically. It was just one meeting after another, and while the others in Frisk's mind could handle them…Frisk was still just a child. The conversations were full of things they didn't fully understand, and they just found themselves mind-numbingly bored.

Frisk knew that this wasn't what Asgore had in mind when he asked them to be the Ambassador. They whined their complaint. "Grandpa Gerson…" they grumbled. "I'm bored…" Gerson ruffled their hair affectionately as he gave a hum of thought.

"Hm, all right, Neck-Warmer…let's see if I got something to pass the time." Frisk looked up, watching as the turtle pulled a few things out of his shell. They giggled, and he gave a lopsided smirk. Even children of the monsters found it amusing, when he could whisk something from out of his shell. "All right, I got a paper and pen…and…a book to write on."

He took the pen though, testing that there was still some ink in it, before giving it to Frisk. The child glanced to the paper, tilting their head at the odd symbols. A hand pointing downwards, something that looked like the letter 'M', two black circles, and a square with a white center.

At first Frisk thought he had just made some random things, but suddenly, they made sense of it. It wasn't random images…it was a 'hello'. Frisk gasped, as it made sense to them. They weren't sure why the strange symbols made sense, but hastily they wrote back in the odd language, and handed him the message.

Gerson looked at it, blinking in surprise when he realized that Frisk replied to it. However, he remembered that one of the souls was likely Gaster hidden within them, and perhaps that explained it. He chuckled, and then they spent the next half an hour passing short messages back in forth on the paper.

They paid no mind to the humans that went pass. Some were disgusted, some were wary or scared…but some simply showed genuine curiosity. The one good thing, Frisk had learned, was that the humans were split in half. There was the one half that just wanted to trap them back behind the barrier, but then the other half was like William, in some ways, genuinely willing to give it all a chance.

"Oh," they heard, and then soft laughter. "Look, he's passing notes to the little one. How cute."

"Hm, what do you think they're talking about?"

"Probably just something silly."

Gerson picked up the paper, and then laughed at the child's next message. They were still bored. He ruffled their hair. "Sorry, Kid. Next time I'll bring some other things to occupy the time."

A shadow fell over them, and Gerson looked up to see William, while Frisk curled up a little, still a little wary of the human after he had halted time in the Capital Building. He hadn't done it since, but it had been frightening all the same.

"I do apologize for all these long meetings," William said, crouching down. "It must be exhausting for our little ambassador."

"Just a little," the turtle said. "Anything I should know?"

The human shrugged. "Well, tomorrow, we don't have any formal meetings." Frisk slowly raised their head at that. "I was thinking that, perhaps, we can have a bit of a walk around, and see the city more up close." Frisk and the others within their mind realized though, that he was inviting them to also have that conversation.

Gerson looked to Frisk…and Frisk heard insistent murmurs, so the little child nodded. "That's fine…" they mumbled. Still, they could feel wariness in some of those that were within them. As Gerson and William started to talk, Frisk tuned into their conversation, quietly closing their eyes as they focused.

 _'Should we really trust him?'_ Undyne asked. _'We saw what he can do! If he wants to stop us…_ '

Sans's quiet voice came next. _'I can't say I appreciate his ability…but the thing is, it's clear that if he was our enemy…he'd have already tried to dispose of us. What does he gain from keeping us alive?'_

 _'He—he has a point,'_ Alphys stammered. _'Currently, we don't provide an obvious benefit. He has no reason to keep us alive…besides, how do we combat that?'_

 _'Well,'_ Toriel murmured. _'While he gave us a scare, I think he's not dangerous—not to us. After all, he openly admitted his weak point. He can't affect us.'_

 _'But…what if that was a trick?'_ Muffet asked. _'And in reality, he can ensnare us?'_

 _'If it's a trick,'_ Asgore murmured. _'Then it's to see what we would do with such information…to see if we would take advantage of his seemingly obvious weak point. However, he cannot trap us. Not with that…'_

 _'How come?'_ Papyrus asked out of genuine curiosity.

 _'Because outside of Resets,'_ Sans started…

 _'A time manipulator cannot alter another manipulator's perception of time,'_ Asgore surmised.

Undyne raised a brow. _'Sans I understand with knowing how this all works…but why you, Asgore?'_

 _'Red magic is always associated with time in some way,'_ he explained. _'I do have a bit of sway over it, like how I was able to remember Frisk's resets when we fought…however, I do not have it to such a degree like a human, as Red Magic requires what Alphys referred to as…'_

 _'Determination,'_ she supplied. _'We do not have a strong enough physical form to use Red Magic to its fullest. However, the opposite is the same to the humans. While they may be able to wield red magic best, we are better at harnessing the others. However, the point is that we're immune to William's alternations of time.'_

 _'Then…should we worry?'_ Muffet asked.

Sans chuckled. _'Guess we'll find out tomorrow, hm?'  
_

* * *

Mettaton cried out in alarm as a dark purple goop hit his face. "Oh, for the love of the—"

"You all right up there?" Felix called from down below where he sat at the computer, pushing back his wheeled seat as Mettaton came over with a towel, cleaning up his face as he did, his head poking into the cat's view.

"Yes, I'm fine, darling," Mettaton managed. "My hair not so much, but I'll survive."

Felix gave a snort of amusement, but his humor soon faded. "Any luck with that purple magic sample?"

"I don't think the result of it exploding in my face is what Muffet wants."

The cat huffed. "Thankfully, Catty said we're welcome to ask her for more. She doesn't use her magic crazily, so…"

"At least that means we can run tests into the foreseeable future. I know we wouldn't get it on our first try, but the sooner we figure out how to get Muffet back, the sooner we can fix the rest of Frisk's interesting situation."

Felix nodded as he looked back at the screen, running his hands down his face out of exhaustion. "I didn't realize how much goes into making magical properties; this is difficult to look at."

"Agreed," Mettaton said as he turned back to the workshop. "It's an overload to my system trying to comprehend it, but…we have to try."

"The real question is how any scientist put this together…"

"We'll have to ask Alphys the next time Frisk comes in." The robot paused as he heard a door slide open, and he went back to the edge as Felix pushed himself away from the desk to look down the hall, and then he glanced back up to Mettaton with a smirk.

"Well, speak of them, and they shall arrive. Useful, don't you think?" the feline joked as Frisk came into sight, waving to Felix, and then to Mettaton, before racing up the stairs. Yet, the robot picked up that the child seemed…tired, and he felt that asking them to stay and explain things may not be the best course of action.

Instead, he smiled as he knelt down. "And what brings you here, little darling?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. They asked, and he smiled. "Yes, I have a little something for you." He moved to the dresser, and pulled it out. A simple blue cloak, a little darker than Sans's hoodie, but perhaps it was reminiscent of the River Person.

Frisk took it, and slipped it on. It only had two sleeves, but that was upon Frisk's request. It draped down, only slightly brushing the floor. However, as they closed it up, it hid most of the other features perfectly. "And I designed the hood so that you can use it despite the horns." With that, he pulled it up for them. There were slits in the hood that the horns would slip through into perfectly cut holes.

Then, he fiddled with a Velcro latch he made, so that the hood would stay in place and the horns wouldn't slip out unless it was undone. "Now there we go, darling," he said as he grabbed a mirror for them. "Now, the horns I can't exactly hide, unless we want you wearing the most ridiculous hat—which, by the way, I forbid you from doing. I'll find some way to ground you if you do."

Frisk sighed, stroking one of the horns. They had thought maybe they could file them down, but most of the monsters were against the idea. "However," Mettaton said, getting their attention back as he smiled. "I have a compromise. I can't make the horns invisible, but, what I can do is make it look like it's not actually part of you, if you'd like that."

The child blinked their dual colored eyes, and then tilted their head fully to the side, humming their confusion to the robot. "Well, what I'm trying to say is I could make the horns look like they're part of a head piece, instead of you." They blinked. Mettaton sighed, and then grabbed a sketch book that had been laying on the work table, swiping some goop off it in light disgust.

"Here…" He opened the book, and the first thing that was noted was that the drawings were very mechanical in appearance. The ghost he had been likely couldn't draw, but as a robot, he could manage…but it was devoid of actual life. However, what he was trying to convey became evident. There were several designs, mostly with jewels as the makeshift example that would decorate the horns, and around their bases to make it look like a headdress of sorts.

Frisk hummed their understanding, and then pointed at one of the designs. Mettaton smiled. "I'll get to it when I can, darling," he said as they took the cloak off, neatly folding it. They gave a little smile, a wave, and then ran off with the cloak.

Down below, Grillby was once again, visiting Muffet's form. He knew that the spider herself was a part of Frisk…but it felt wrong to just not visit at all. Though, one could argue that broken soul deserved a visitor of some sort. However, he wasn't the only one down there. Chara was there as well, quietly watching.

The little ghost child was hiding for the most part, but lately, they had started to poke their head back out, and the elemental would sometimes speak to them, but today, Napstablook was also down there, and soon enough, the child was coaxed into talking again. At first, it was just idle chatter, until Grillby finally asked them what they had been doing after the garden incident…and so they explained their side of the story.

"I was…absorbed by the flower along with the other two," Chara murmured, while Napstablook translated. "Flowey and I were trying to keep the wild one down, but that other one…they never did anything. They were gone…defeated…just waiting for death to fully claim them."

They were quiet for a few moments, wringing their hands. "Eventually…Flowey and I lost control…and the corruption decided to show we weren't needed. We were tossed out…the soul is broken, and I needed to place it somewhere…when I…when I saw Muffet's soul leaving her form…I put that soul there."

Grillby and Napstablook's attention was fully grabbed at that point. The elemental's flames brightened. "You're the one that put the soul there?" Chara nodded, and looked away, while Grillby stood up, staring at the little ghost. "…you saved her life."

Chara folded their arms, and turned away, and Napstablook was hesitant to relay what they said next. "Don't," they had stated simply. "I only did it because of that soul. If it were just me, I wouldn't have bothered."

"It wouldn't have mattered though…" Napstablook mumbled. "If you had, her body probably couldn't handle it…"

Chara turned slightly, but was otherwise silent. "And if you had no obligation for Muffet," Grillby murmured. "What obligation did you have to the other soul?" Chara frowned, confused by his words, but were able to gather what he meant.

"…because that other human…" they mumbled. "Is like me…" They hung their head low. "What they did to this broken soul…if given the chance…I could have done the same thing to your Frisk… I just feel a little responsible. That's why I did this…this is why I'm still bothering to stay around." …though they had nowhere to go.

Frisk stumbled as they teleported into Waterfall, and staggered along, a wave of relief coming to them. After another long day, they just wanted a moment to themselves. Lately now, over the past few weeks, they had been forming a habit of coming here…to the statue with the hidden music box.

The former human slid down next to the statue, and closed their eyes, letting their mind slip away for a bit. The tune played softly as the rain fell, but Frisk didn't mind the feeling of the water falling on their face. It felt nice, and relieving, and they just needed these moments. Every day, another meeting, another conflict, and Frisk was still a child. They could only handle so much.

They dozed slightly, as they sometimes did when they came to the statue where they could be allowed to relax. In the area next to them though, Shyren sang softly to her sister, but paused as another figure came in. "Uh…yo…" Shyren looked over timidly, and waved. "Hey…did you see them…are they there this time?"

Shyren looked them over, and then nodded with a smile, pointing toward the statue. "Yes!" the other quietly exclaimed, and then hurried past her. "Thanks!"

Frisk stirred as they heard small footsteps, but inwardly, they ignored it, at least, they did until they weren't giving a choice. "Yo…" They raised their head, tilting it in confusion when they spotted the monster kid that they had seen on their journey. "Hey," they said with a smile. "You're up, haha…I uh…I've been going through Waterfall a lot lately…and uh…" The armless monster scratched at the ground with a foot.

"Anyways, I brought a snack this time, but um…I got too much, so I was wondering…would you like some?" They turned to the side, and raised their tail high. Between some of their spikes, was a basket. Due to the lack of arms, the monster had found other ways to carry things, it would seem.

Frisk looked at the reptile, blinking quietly, and then nodding. "Yo, that's great; I didn't want to waste anything." They approached, and flicked their tail expertly, the basket slipping free of their spikes, and landing neatly by Frisk, while they took a seat near them by just dropping roughly down with a little grunt. "You can have whatever you want in there," they informed the fusion.

They quietly reached forward, and then opened the basket, peering in to find it full of Cinnamon Buns. They took one out, and began to nibble on it. Kid leaned closer, but didn't take anything. Frisk paused, and then took another one out, holding it out to them. They perked, and smiled. "Yo, thanks. Haha, it's a little difficult to grab something like this."

The reptilian monster leaned forward, and took it carefully, before drawing back, and eating it. Frisk watched them, and then tilted their head. "Um…so…why are you out here in Waterfall? …won't your parents worry?"

Kid tilted their head. "Oh, haha…guess I need to explain that, don't I? Well, if you really want to know…"


	52. House Mouse

Kid flicked their tail, letting it quietly slap the ground as they tried to figure out where to start. "Well…I…I heard what happened about Undyne…and Papyrus…" They grew quiet, their raptor like claws digging into the ground a little as they shuddered. "We lost our Captain—and we lost Papyrus—and he's so cool!"

Frisk jerked a little as Papyrus made an unintentional racket. ' _Wowie…a genuine compliment!_ '

Undyne's voice came next with a laugh. ' _Awesome! Papyrus, where did you get this little fan?'_

Frisk focused on tuning them out so they could focus on the reptile's words. "Then I realized…yo…we lost some sentries…and now we don't have Undyne patrolling Waterfall anymore…"

They paused and then raised their head as they continued as they looked to Frisk with honey brown eyes. "So…I decided I'd patrol in their place." Frisk blinked in surprise and their ear fins twitched as the others became more alert to the conversation.

"I know it's not much," they told the former human. "I'm just a little kid. If I really did run into trouble…the best I could do is run away and hope to find actual help. I guess it at least feels like I'm doing something. Haha…"

Frisk smiled a little. The young monster was rather sweet at least, wanting to help out the kingdom even though they could just as easily let the adults handle the situation. Frisk wasn't one to talk about that however, seeing as they would have done the same thing.

With that they offered out a bit more food to the reptile who happily accepted it. Frisk hummed softly before looking up quietly as they commented on their actions fondly. The child dipped their head sheepishly and Frisk thought their scales were slightly red around the face… "Yo…it's uh…it's nothing," they managed as they grinned. "Uh, anyways…"

They turned their body slightly so that they were fully facing Frisk. "I uh…notice you here quite a bit when I go through Waterfall, so…I was wondering, cause uh…yo…not all the time, but uh…maybe I could bring snacks out here for you too?"

Frisk looked at them, contemplating the offer. This was their alone time in a sense, but…it was more to escape the whole ordeal of being Ambassador. This monster was a child like they were. They wouldn't talk about boring meetings or ask them to think up a speech. They were alike in that way and…Frisk didn't mind that.

Quietly, they nodded and spoke softly to assure the child. The reptile perked. "Yo! That's great! Oh…uh, by the way…" They laughed sheepishly. "Haha, this is silly…but I didn't catch your name… …Frisk, huh?" They smiled and then with a grunt they hopped onto their feet.

"Anyways—it's late, so if I don't get home soon, my family will make a big fuss. Here—keep the treats, they're all yours." Frisk blinked, and just as they were about to leave they called out, causing the young monster to stop and look back to them questioningly.

The child raised their hand, silent for several long moments before asking the monster's name, stating they didn't want to think of them as the kid monster for the rest of their days.

The reptile smiled. "Just call me…Rex."

Frisk blinked and tilted their head. Rex…? However, the child was long gone before they could figure out what else to say.

* * *

Dogamy panted as the hot blazing sun came down on him. He, Gerson, and Frisk were down in the human city in the afternoon and while Dogamy had traveled through Hotlands before, this was a different kind of uncomfortable. The air itself felt sticky and the sidewalk threatened to sear his paws, despite the sandals he wore.

Gerson wasn't faring too much better as he walked barefoot, practically in the same boat as the canine. He looked up. "You doing okay, Neck-Warmer?" They gave a soft moan of reply.

"You really should take that cloak off," Dogamy said. They were wearing the one Mettaton provided. They still had the scarf as well, but they did take off Sans's hoodie, tying it around their waist so that they still had it.

Frisk's ear fins drooped fully, and the child could hear Undyne's moans of complaint. The child took note that the monsters moved into the shade of the building and they raised their head, looking at Michael and William who were faring only a little better in the heat. A while back they had come out of a meeting and William had suggested having lunch somewhere.

The child knew why. He wanted to have that talk at long last now that there was some free time. The reason they were walking was because originally, the place William wanted to go to was just a short distance away but, to the Leader's surprise, they had been greeted by a 'No Monsters' sign.

After that they just continued through the city going to the next nearest one, but if it didn't have a sign, they were closed. William walked along, muttering in irritation. "Honestly, I should try to ban these signs," he grumbled to Michael.

"Except the people can vote on that," the younger man reminded. "And you would lose. Terribly."

"I know."

Michael gave a worried glance back toward the monsters. "Hey, William, we really need to find a place. This isn't good for them…"

"Got any ideas?"

The man gave a hum and snapped his fingers with a grin. "Yes, actually. No promises, but I was there last night and I didn't see that bloody sign." He turned, and waved to the monsters. "We're going to try one more place, all right? Here, follow me!"

Five minutes later Michael paused in front of a building in a district full of small businesses. The shade of the building brought relief to the monsters as the cement no longer burned their feet. Dogamy panted heavily, his tongue hanging out as he looked up at the restaurant. There was nothing fancy to its design with the outside made from faded red bricks.

There was a long stretch of windows along the front and a door on either front corner of the building. Though Dogamy couldn't see clearly through the window as it seemed there weren't a lot of lights on in there, due to it still being early in the day.

The one thing he was glad to see was a lack of a sign to keep his kind out. Then, he glanced up to see the name of the place. He paused, and frowned as he tilted his head. "…House Mouse?" he questioned.

Michael chuckled. "Jeremiah would be happy to explain the name."

Gerson perked. "You know the owner?"

The man gave a happy hum. "Yeah—Jeremiah and I go way back. He was my senior partner on the force before he retired and started up the House Mouse."

With that he opened the door and led them in the air conditioning and the cool floor being a relief to the poor monsters. "Hey! Jeremiah!" Michael called as they all filed in.

Frisk took note of the layout, being reminded on an old fashioned diner from the sixties. The building was rather long with booths lining the windows and then four separate tables on either end of the place that could comfortably seat four but could have eight. There was even a bar with fancy stools that reminded them of Grillby's ever so slightly except instead of drinks behind the bar, it was the kitchen, allowing them to see the chef cooking.

When Michael had said senior partner, Dogamy and Gerson had expected someone around William's age, or older. However, the one who looked up had to be in his thirties—forties at most, looking maybe five or ten years older than Michael. He had sandy blonde/brown hair, and he had vivid yellow eyes.

"Afternoon, Rookie," he replied with a smirk coming to him.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Michael paused, and then glanced around. The House Mouse usually had a quiet clamor to it, but things had fallen strangely silent. The humans were all looking at the monsters. Some with simple curiosity…some with open hostility…and those who were not happy took their harsh gazes to Jeremiah, expecting him to do something.

With that the man spoke again, with an over the top, dramatic tone in his voice. "Oh no," he said. "Monsters have come in—but I have yet to get that sign—" Jeremiah sighed heavily. "I guess I'll have to serve them this time." His tone dripped with sarcasm.

Michael snickered. "Take a free table," he told the rest of the group before coming over to the bar, talking quietly to the slightly older gentleman. "You're ridiculous. Technically, as a restaurant owner, you don't need a sign. You choose who you serve."

Jeremiah leaned forward, smiling. "Yes," he muttered to Michael. "And I choose to serve all my customers. If people don't like it, they can leave. Anyways, since you're here…" Michael suddenly found himself with a handful of menus. "Why don't you go hand those out?"

"Yeah, no problem," Michael replied before going over to the booth that had been chosen, with the monsters in one though William had yet to take a seat while Frisk sat on the edge of their chosen booth. "Here we go," Michael said as he set down menus to the exhausted monsters.

Eventually, the group chose what they wanted and as Jeremiah cooked, the other customers eventually left, leaving it only with the small group. Oddly enough as he started to finish up, it was Michael who went to take the food from the bar to the table. It was then that Frisk noticed that when Jeremiah moved…something seemed off.

"Here we are," Michael said, setting the food down carefully and then sliding into his seat closer to the window before William finally decided to sit down. Yet, as they ate, Gerson looked up.

"Well, we still don't know…" Gerson said. "What's up with the name?"

Jeremiah perked, and then smiled. "It's police jargon." The two monsters glanced to each other. After communicating with the humans for a while now they knew it worked like their sentries. They weren't military, but could defend themselves and worked in law enforcement. "House Mouse," Jeremiah continued. "Refers to a police officer that rarely leaves the building for any reason. It suits me as I rarely ever leave the restaurant."

"Then supplies…?" Dogamy asked.

"Usually, they don't carry it in—at least in the kingdom," Gerson murmured.

Jeremiah nodded. "They don't. I just call the rookie over to help me on those days."

"Do I look like free labor?" Michael complained.

"Why yes. Yes you do."

"Hey!" The argument ended with the others laughing and finally getting to their meal. While the monsters ate, Michael and Jeremiah talked casually, constantly ribbing on one another.

When Frisk finally finished eating they looked up at William and then dipped their head, slipping out of the booth, coming over to him and lightly tugging on the cuff of his sleeve. "Neck-Warmer?" Gerson asked in confusion. They assured him that they just wanted to talk to William at least somewhat privately.

With that they moved to the far side of the diner, sitting at one of the tables. Frisk was quiet and then looked up. "…you made a point of saying I had red _eyes_ ," they murmured, letting Toriel lead the conversation. "Why red eyes though? How could you guess something like that?"

"Hmm," the man murmured. "Well, it doesn't look like it's the same for all of the monsters, anyways. However, with humans…you can tell our magic type by the color of our eyes. Clarabelle has aqua magic, Michael has orange, Jeremiah is yellow…and of course, mine is red, as you can see here. Though, unlike monsters—if what I've seen is anything to go by—we can only learn the one magic we were born with."

"…you knew I had red eyes because I was immune to your bubble?"

"Exactly. Red magic users are immune to most—if not all of another red magic user's effects. Not that it's ever a problem. Red magic users never fight…"

"…why's that?"

William sighed. "Red magic users are rare to come by. It's not heritage that defines a red magic user. It's practically a rarely heard of fluke. Just a few every generation. So the odds would be…hm…one out of every twenty thousand, perhaps, has a chance to be a red magic user. Of course, the city isn't that big, so those births are spread far apart."

"That doesn't answer why you don't fight…"

"Upon birth, and realization of the eye color…the government takes in the child to train them. The position of Leader, my little Ambassador…can only be held by a magic user like us. No other magic type can have this position." Frisk blinked rapidly in surprise. "How no one found out about you is beyond me, but…Due to the obvious advantages, the government refuses to make us their enemy. So, red magic users are raised to work together. There's never been an incident…"

It was then that a look of concern came to him. "Not that there's much chance of one at the moment…" Frisk looked at him worriedly and then quietly questioned what was wrong. The man sighed as he drew a hand over his face.

"Within the past few years, other red magic users like ourselves have…" His eyes dimmed. "Disappeared. No warnings, no…idea to where they are, or how they are faring. Frisk…" He looked up with a serious look in his eyes. "As it stands, I am officially the only red magic user in the city. One day, something's going to happen to me…and when that does happen, there are currently no others to be elected—or drafted in."

Frisk frowned at the terms, and he explained it swiftly. "When there is more than one red magic user, the city elects the one they want to lead. If there's only one, well, they're forced into the role. So you can see why Clarabelle is ridiculously protective of me. If I'm gone, well…however, my problem remains."

"…are you asking me to fill the role if it happens…?" they asked in bewilderment.

"Not exactly," William replied while his eyes lit up a little again. "I am saying that I would like to teach you how to harness your magic. You'd definitely find it useful. Though, I have one final question for you before I lead into that."

"And…what's that…?"

He leaned forward slightly. "What do you know of the golden stars?"

Frisk jerked as their blue eye flared up suddenly while their gaze landed harshly on him. William let out a soft breath of amusement. "I seem to be the best one at riling you and the others, hm…?"

"…how do you know about those?"

"Because a while back…I had that power," William explained. "It's part of what got me to be Leader. Then, all the sudden, one day I woke and I could no longer see the stars." He chuckled weakly. "It was a little surprising. I had to be extremely careful with what I did after that, but…do you know the rules to those?"

"Someone told me that it's only the most determined who can see it."

William nodded. "It seems that's you. Though…it couldn't have been for this whole while, now could it? You're barely twelve from the looks of it."

"There was at least one other before me," Frisk murmured. "Though I don't have details I wish to share."

"No, I won't pry on that," William assured. "The question is…do you have it now?"

Frisk hesitated and then slowly nodded, but then they looked up at him with a glare that was purely their own. William wasn't quite sure why, but he knew they didn't want to talk about the abilities that came along with seeing the stars. The man sighed. "Very well, I won't dwell on that exactly, but I will say that makes you potentially the strongest red magic user as you can use those abilities to your advantage."

"How so…?"

William looked at the drink he had carried with him and then knocked it over. Instantly, it and the liquid that was spilling out, went gray, and it hovered there. "See, this is how I pause time. In a small space for the most part. What I did back then was my limit almost. It takes a lot to hold it. Though fair warning."

He touched a droplet and the liquid sprung back to life, falling onto the table. "You interact with it and time moves again. However, you can see the stars, Frisk…" He looked to them. "You can save and reset, defy time and death. You, with practice, could bring the world to a halt. It's a dangerous power in the wrong hands, but…you could save many with that same ability."

Frisk nodded as they thought about it. "…and you want to teach me?"

"If you were hostile, I think I would have figured it out by now."

"…and if you're wrong?"

He smirked. "Which I'm not, but if I am, well, then that's the risk I'll take."

"…when can we start?" Frisk asked. They were genuinely curious of their ability, and if they could learn to harness it…

William smiled. "As soon as possible." Then he glanced back over his shoulder. "Hey, Jeremiah, may I have an empty glass?"

"Are you giving that kid a magic show?" Jeremiah asked as he grabbed a cup and hobbled around the bar. Unlike Grillby's, there was a spot to slip out on either side due to the length of the place. However, as he stepped into view Frisk noticed a brace on his right leg that went from his lower thigh to his upper shin.

His limp was heavy and noticeable and Frisk realized now why the restaurant was aptly named House Mouse. He was a former officer that rarely left the building, for going anywhere with a leg like that was difficult and the monsters realized why he was so young for someone who was retired. He was injured on duty.

William took the new glass and resumed time, letting the falling liquid go into the other glass. "So, you really are up for it?" Frisk nodded and he chuckled. The rest of the stay was quiet, but it held a friendly atmosphere with Dogamy talking to Michael and Gerson questioning Jeremiah about various things. Eventually, they left with Frisk looking off into the distance.

From what William had said…they learned something about an old puzzle of theirs and they were determined to look into it as soon as they could.


	53. Ready to Rest

Frisk looked down at the litter of puppies that were moving about on the floor. Dogamy and Dogaressa had been called away, and so, Frisk, Napstablook, and Doggo were taking care of them. It had surprised Frisk, however, that they were already crawling and stumbling around at a young age, but the canines explained that they were puppies. They reached a more feral-like stage first, before maturing mentally as a monster.

Therefore, despite only being a few months old, most of them were crawling around on all fours without too much issue. They still couldn't talk yet, and just spoke through their barks, the tones conveying their general messages to their care takers.

Beowulf was the hardest to handle. The black footed boy was one to tussle, constantly knocking over litter mates. It wasn't out of malice, he simply wanted to play—but he played rough, causing siblings to squeak and yelp their complaints.

"Come here, ya rascal," Doggo said as he scooped up the rambunctious boy, snorting as the pup yelped and flailed his paws as the floor vanished. "Gotta stop messing with your siblings and be a bit more gentle—" Doggo gave a grunt as a paw whacked his muzzle.

"Oh?" Doggo asked, smirking. "We're going to do it that way?" The amber-eyed boy gave a defiant yip. The smirk broadened. "Guess we're doing it this way." With that, he switched his hold on the boy, nuzzling his stomach. The boy gasped and squealed, flailing his limbs wildly as he tried to escape.

Once he got too out of hand, Doggo simply held him by his scruff, letting him drain his energy as he fussed in Doggo's hold. Frisk looked up, smiling, feeling the others pleasantly watching for once, instead of giving them another headache. Then, they scooped up Dogtanian, who was insisting on trying to climb them.

The other two boys were poking around at their surroundings, finding the large room of the house to be their whole world, and they were determined to figure it all out. Canis, however, simply watched from where she had been initially set down. She opened her mouth, yawning, and then curled up. It seemed she was content with where she was.

Her ears twitched, and she opened her aqua eyes as she felt herself get picked up. The little girl looked up in confusion at Napstablook. "Oh, hello…" the ghost murmured. "We should probably put you back in bed if you're going to sleep…you'll catch a cold on the floor."

Canis looked up at him, and gave another yawn, before curling up in their hold, and promptly falling asleep. "Oh—oh…" Flustered, the ghost turned completely invisible, with Frisk realizing they were hiding the pup along with them. The child watched quietly, and then stifled a laugh, before coming forward, insisting they get the pup to a bed.

There was a light knock at the door, and Lupus and Dogmatix rushed toward it, both barking softly as they dropped into messy play stances, wondering if they could get another playmate. Doggo walked over, holding Beowulf upside down by a foot. When he opened the door, he found Gerson.

"Thought I'd find the Neck-Warmer here." Gerson chuckled as the two pups began pawing at his legs as he tried to gently slide his way in. "Having fun with the pups?" Frisk nodded as they tried to avoid Dogtanian's muzzle as the girl sniffed at them.

"Is something wrong?" Napstablook asked as they floated over.

"Not really," Gerson said. "That Michael kid came up the mountain. Apparently the meetings for today were cancelled." Frisk gasped with a smile, and he laughed. "Thought you'd like to hear that. You've got today free now."

Frisk gave a quiet hum of thought. Well, there was something they had wanted to do for quite a while. In fact, ever since they saw the map of the city…they wanted to check something. They had all of today off… They stood up, and questioned if they could go out.

Gerson looked at them in confusion. "Wait, are you saying you want to go down there?" They nodded, saying they wanted to walk around. "Kid, I don't know…I need a break from going up and down the mountain, since you don't use your little shortcuts in the city."

That was a conscious choice of Frisk's, as they didn't want to accidentally advertise any extra magical abilities, as there was no private place they knew of, that they could teleport to. However, Gerson had a point. He was too old to constantly be going up and down the mountain. Frisk insisted they could go alone, and teleport back if needed.

"I'm not letting you go alone," he stated firmly…though Frisk pointed out that they literally couldn't ever be alone. "Kid, that doesn't count, and you know it."

"Um…" Napstablook mumbled. "Uh…maybe…maybe I could take them?" The ghost faded slightly. "If…that's okay. I mean, if something happens, I can get them straight back, and I can fight a little…oh no…that's probably a bad idea, I'm sorry…"

Gerson looked at the ghost, then back at the child. Then, he sighed. "Fine," he said. "But if there's any trouble, you bring them straight back, ya got that?"

"Oh—yes sir," Napstablook managed.

"Good…" He ruffled Frisk's hair. "Now stay out of trouble, all right?"

Frisk nodded, while Gerson picked up the two pups. "Well, since I'm here, how about I stay and help with these little rascals?"

Doggo smiled. "It would be appreciated. Luckily, one of them is already asleep, so two each?" he asked as he took Dogtanian out of Frisk's grasp.

"Sounds good to me," Gerson replied.

While they decided on how to handle the four remaining pups, Frisk stood, and beckoned the ghost to follow them. They quickly teleported to the exit of the Underground with the ghost, and then, they started their way down the slopes. It took a while, and with both being quiet souls, there wasn't much conversation either.

When they finally did get to the bottom, Frisk opted to stay on the outskirts, the most outer ring of the city. They slowly walked with the ghost trailing a little behind them as they crossed open fields, where the grass grew wild. There were some stray buildings here and there that Frisk would sometimes approach.

However, they would stop a short distance away, and then turn to look at Mt. Ebott. They would stare at it silently, and then move on in the same direction over and over. Most of the buildings they came across were old abandoned factories. They were small ones that were only one story, and have long since seen any workers.

They were few and far apart, and any other buildings didn't seem to be in use anymore either. There were even a few houses, but they had 'For Sale' signs in the yard…or were just in such a state of disrepair that nature was attempting to claim it back. Frisk would quietly look around, taking in their surroundings as they continued their trek.

Napstablook looked around, marveling at everything. This was their first time truly going outside, and it was beautiful. The sun shone merrily down, and a gentle breeze rolled through, making the grass blow back, the movement reminding one of waves on the ocean. The sun shone off some of the buildings too, and there was the skyline of the city to look at as well.

The ghost turned, smiling as they looked up at Ebott. For being trapped in there, they still thought the absolute size of the mountain was stunning. That was their home…and Napstablook hoped they could eventually live on it, instead of in it. Though, they also kept an eye out for humans, not wanting any trouble.

Eventually, they found a little paved road—though it was obvious that even that hadn't been tended to in a while due to a lack of traffic. Frisk glanced to the mountain, and then, without warning, broke into a run, following the road away from the city. "Oh!" Napstablook exclaimed. "Wait up!"

They flew after the child, who kept running, until they stopped at an odd looking house. They panted, hands on their knees, looking at the mountain, and then at the home. Napstablook paused, looking further down the road to see that it tapered off into nothingness just a little bit away.

Then, the ghost glanced to the home. It was only one floor, but what it lacked in height, in seemed to make up for in length and width. It was made of dark wood, and as Frisk approached, Alphys perked in interest, as the design reminded her faintly of Japanese styled homes. Except, there were some differences she was noticing. In the end, it seemed to be a mix of an Eastern and Western home.

Frisk hopped up onto the porch, instantly going for the door. They tried to open it, but they weren't all that surprised when they found it locked. "Um…Frisk…?" Napstablook questioned quietly. "What's…what's going on?"

The child hesitated, and then turned to Napstablook, asking if they could phase them through the door. "What…are you saying to…trespass? Won't the owners get mad…?" Frisk lowered their head, their hair shadowing over their eyes as they told the ghost that they wouldn't have to worry about it.

Napstablook remained reluctant, but, they quickly caved in. "Oh…okay….but I don't like this…" they managed as they took the child, and phased them through the door. The home was dark, and the ghost found themselves confused by the layout. They were in a wide hall that went to their left and right, but there seemed to be no immediate rooms around them.

Frisk turned, and quietly asked Napstablook if they could wait out on the porch. They stated that they wouldn't be more than an hour…that they just wanted to look around, and then they could leave.

"I…I guess I can wait," Napstablook said. They could listen to music in the meantime, and actually, the ghost was getting some ideas that they wanted to jot down before they forgot. With that, they phased through the door, leaving Frisk alone.

The child heard the quiet murmurs of confusion from the others in their mind, but they didn't respond to the questions as they chose to walk down the hall, and eventually reached the corner of the house where a sliding door greeted them. They pulled it open to find a small bedroom.

They looked around as they crept over the wood. Sunlight came in through the windows, with specks of dust dancing in the rays. There was a small bed by the windows, an empty toy chest, with its former contents spilled about the floor of the room.

The child quietly walked to the other side of the room, approaching the bed where a teddy bear laid on its side. They picked it up as they sat down, staring at its brown furred face, and black plastic glass eyes. They fell silent, remembering that little companion. There had almost never been a moment where the teddy bear wasn't around. How far back…

Frisk closed their eyes…remembering being a much smaller child, sitting somewhere in the dark, the world bumping around them. They were in a vehicle…a bus. Alone and afraid, clutching onto the bear as if it were their only hope. They ruffled his fur, and set him back down on the bed, looking around at other familiar toys.

Then, they went over to their small dresser, and picked up one of the pictures. Frisk frowned, desperately trying to bring the two adults to mind…but, try as the child might, they couldn't remember those two. The monsters within their mind stirred, piecing things together.

Frisk put the picture back and grabbed the other. This one had them in it, along with a much older couple. They were smiling…they were happy. The child mumbled something quietly, and that's when the others were certain. This was Frisk's family…this had been their home before they went to Mt. Ebott.

Frisk slowly put the picture back, quietly looking around the dusty room. They went over to a desk, and picked up a little book with 'Frisk' written messily in crayon. Frisk paused, hearing Toriel fawn over the sight. Then, Frisk opened it. It was like a diary, or a journal, with events messily recorded.

In fact, the writing was so bad that even Frisk wasn't always quite sure of what had been written in its earlier pages. However, as they flipped through it to more recent times, the writing became clearer, and were accompanied with little doodles. The child continued reading, pausing when they finally came across something.

 _'I had a weird dream…I saw Grandma's pot floating…'_ Next to it, was a drawing of what seemed to be a tea pot, enveloped with a blue glow. Frisk slowly read it over again, before dropping the little book, and launching themselves out the way they came, running down the hall, all the way to the other end.

They slammed a door open, and found themselves in a kitchen that also worked as the dining room. Frisk looked around a bit desperately, and then sighed in relief as they spotted the tea pot on the counter. They closed their eyes, trying to remember. They had to of been…six. That seemed right.

They had been thirsty, and so they went to the kitchen for a drink. Their Grandma had been there as well, and…right, she had blue eyes. Deep blue tired eyes. She had smiled when Frisk came in, petting their head, and as she did, the pot behind her poured some tea into two cups.

The child had woke up the next morning, and mistaken it for a dream, but from what they learned about humans…it was likely that her Grandmother had levitation magic. The child wondered why they didn't know that, but then one of the others proposed that they likely didn't use magic often due to their age.

Frisk breathed out quietly, and then exited another door of the kitchen, being led to another hall. They walked down it, trying to sort out the muddled thoughts of their time here. Oh, they remembered their grandparents well; it wasn't like they were fading in their memory. However, there were the few years before that, before they came here. They couldn't remember that.

The fusion opened another door at the end of the hall, and stepped into a simple living room. There was a couch, a reading chair, a table, and an old television set. Frisk stared at the table, where an unfinished checkerboard game was. Frisk was quiet, and then grabbed a red piece—the color they always picked—and jumped over two black ones. "Gotta crown me now, Grandpa…" they mumbled to themselves as the red piece reached the opposite end of the board.

They closed their eyes, remembering him. An old fashioned man, with tired—no, not tired—that was too light of a term… _weary_ , wizened yellow eyes—the kind of eyes that had seen too much, and were ready to rest soon. However, they could remember one of their last games. He may have been ready to rest, but he could still smile…he could still laugh. It was a deep, if somewhat raspy one, from old age, but it was the kind of laugh that would echo through the home.

Frisk always liked hearing it. They focused on a more specific memory. Their last game. It had been raining that morning, and then cloudy for the early afternoon. However, when they played, a ray of sunlight came in. He chuckled. "Come on, Munchkin. Let's go play in the garden while the weather's nice."

In the present, the fusion exited the second door of the living room, but they only went partially down the third hall, and opened a side door, and oddly…stepped outside onto a covered porch. It turned out that the home wrapped around an indoor garden, making it impossible to access without going through the house first.

Frisk hopped down the short step and onto one of the many stepping stones. They felt Asgore rise to attention to look at the inner yard. There were flowers growing on one corner, fruits and vegetables in another…there was a climbable tree in the third one, with pink flowers growing around in its green leaves, with shrubbery surrounding its base.

The child remembered that they used to climb that tree all the time…except, they could never get down, and would either mewl for help until someone came…or inevitably fall to the ground. That was part of the reason why their Grandparents insisted on carrying bandages everywhere. Frisk and gravity were simply not on good terms.

The last corner just had lush grass that had grown without supervision due to the absence of a caretaker. Frisk went over, and dropped down on their knees, peering around, before reaching under the porch, and drawing out a blue ball with a band of pink on it.

Frisk smiled. It had matched their sweater. Not that it was surprising, when they thought of their Grandmother's habits. They traced the stripe as their eyes dimmed. That day…after the sun came out, they and their Grandpa had come out to play. He sat on the porch, tossing the ball to them, playing catch. He chuckled sometimes, when they comically missed, and sometimes, he would dramatically flail with the ball.

However, it was that same day, that he started coughing. It was so bad, that their Grandmother had been drawn out by the noise. She had come over, resting her hands nervously on his shoulders as he coughed, and the bout lasted for what seemed like forever, until it finally settled.

She helped him to his feet, and then into the house…that was the last time they played in the garden…it was the last time they played at all. The fusion clambered back onto the porch, and re-entered the house, making their way to the master bedroom. They hesitated, their one hand shaking wildly as they hovered over the door.

Frisk shut their eyes, and slowly opened it. They peeked open an eye and looked up. Then, they opened both, staring. The room was empty. There was confusion, but mostly relief. The days after that incident…Grandma took care of him, but his health declined… Frisk did what they could to help.

They had been homeschooled after all…they didn't have to leave. However, one day…Frisk came in to wake their grandfather. However…he would not wake. He had passed in the night. It didn't take long at all, for the grandmother to follow in his tracks. Frisk remembered that the next day…she was gone too.

Frisk had fled the room… the house, and ran for the mountain. They were running, scared, terrified of their reality, and wanting to run away from it, as if they could somehow go back in time, and defy it…They ran until…

Until they fell into the Underground.

Frisk ignored the questions of the others, focusing on finding an empty box. They dropped the ball into it. Then, they carried it out, wanting to gather a few more things.

Outside, Napstablook laid on the porch, listening to the music they had with their headphones. Eventually, the door opened, and they looked up to see Frisk coming out with a box. Within it, was the ball, the checkers game, the pictures, the messy journal, and…and the little teddy bear.

"Oh…" they murmured, rising fully as Frisk set it down. "Are…are we done…here?" Napstablook had something of an idea of what was going on, but they had no intention of prying. Frisk nodded, and then suddenly came forward, hugging the ghost, causing them to become transparent.

They nearly went completely invisible, however, when Frisk mumbled a thank you. Napstablook smiled slightly. "Oh…it was fine…um…" The ghost nuzzled them. "Hey Frisk…let's get you back to your family, all right?" The child looked up with a sad smile, and nodded, with Napstablook taking the box in their magic. Frisk then led them through the doorway, locking the door.

When they went through the entry way to the garden, however, Frisk swiftly took them to the Underground. Just like that, Frisk found themselves back home. Back with everyone that was now their family.


	54. Spoonful of Sugar

Gerson sighed softly in content as he sat at the table in the Royals' home, drinking some Sea Tea. Another month had gone by, and while there wasn't much progress in solving Frisk's issue, they were constantly doing some form of interaction with the humans. He knew that it was wearing the child out, to be constantly going from one meeting to another.

Not that the child would ever make their complaints obviously known. The turtle shook his head at their stubbornness, and then turned, glancing out the window, a smile slowly coming to him as he did so. They were sitting in the yard, but they weren't alone. No, Rex was there with them.

As of late, the two were spending time together, playing and talking—though he was sure Rex was carrying the majority of any and all conversations. What pleased Gerson was the fact that Frisk was socializing with someone their own age, as it offered them a reprieve from being the Ambassador.

The turtle monster took his time with finishing his tea and cleaning up, before, finally, and reluctantly exiting the home. The fusion of human and monster turned, and Frisk smiled, waving to him. "Grandpa Gerson~"

Gerson chuckled. "Hey, Neck-Warmer." Then he turned his gaze. "And good morning to you too, Rex. How'd you get here so early?"

The reptile smiled. "Haha…yo, that's a funny story…"

Frisk yanked the scarf up to hide their face, and that was all it took for Gerson to figure it out. Frisk had brought them over with Sans's ability. He smirked lightly in amusement, and leaned forward a little. "Crafty little critter, aren't you now?" He laughed, and ruffled their hair. Then, he breathed out.

"Now, Frisk," he murmured. "I'm sure you figured out why I came out. It's time to go."

He was quickly greeted by two looks of dismay. Gerson sighed. It couldn't be helped, they had to go, but…he thought it over. "Well, how about this?" The two tilted their heads. "If Rex gets permission from their family, they can come along."

Frisk gave a surprised squeak as they jumped up, staring at him. Gerson laughed. "You heard me right. You two can talk when you're not needed, and if the parents need to be assured, just tell them that Rex is going down with the Captain of the Guard, and a former solider."

The fusion blinked, and then squealed their joy, plowing into Gerson to give him a hug. Thankfully, he caught his balance, chuckling. "Huh, happy are you?" They gave their happy hum of content, before whipping around as Rex hopped up onto their feet excitedly.

"Yo—really!? I can come!?" they exclaimed. Their eyes widened as they stared in awe.

"You kids going deaf?" Gerson teased. "Just hurry along and ask."

Frisk laughed, and then grabbed Rex, racing for the home, vanishing as they entered the doorway, likely teleporting to Grillby's or the like, and then heading for Rex's.

Gerson sighed softly, shaking his head in light amusement. "Silly kids," he murmured. "Might be odd to bring Rex along, they're not there for the meetings, but…they seem to find it easy to make the Neck-Warmer smile, and right now, they need that…"

He headed back inside, opting to sit and wait for Frisk, Rex, and even Dogamy as well.

* * *

"So, who's the new one?" Jeremiah asked as he glanced up from the bar. It was a bit pass noon, and the small group of monsters and humans had come back to the House Mouse for lunch.

Dogamy smiled. "That's Rex, a friend of Frisk's."

The lizard looked up a bit shyly. "Um…hi."

Jeremiah tossed his hand up in a light wave. "Good to see another monster. You're rare to come by, right now."

"You're the only restaurant open to us here," Gerson said as they took a seat at one of the booths. It had become a habit to come in at this time, so Jeremiah started making sure he had as few customers in that hour as possible due to the hostility some of them could show.

"At least we got to beat the heat this time," Michael said as he came up to the bar, while William hung back. Jeremiah handed him menus, saving himself a bit of a walk. However, when Michael came over, he realized the obvious problem with Rex. Jeremiah glanced over, finally seeing the issue as well.

"Hey, Michael, use the napkin holder to prop it up," Jeremiah called. "That's all I can really do at the moment."

"Sure thing," the orange-eyed human replied, grabbing the napkin holder and leaning the open menu against it. "Sorry about that," he told the armless monster.

"Yo, it's fine," Rex replied with a smile. "Happens all the time, haha. Most monsters have arms and such…"

"Looks like I'll have to make little menu stands then," Jeremiah said.

"A step ahead of the crowd, hm?" Michael questioned.

"Always."

Once everyone had decided on what to eat, Frisk and Rex ended up moving to another table. Ever since Frisk got back from their home, they always had the checkerboard game around—though, due to its size, Gerson was the one that held onto it. They quickly set up the game, with Frisk moving the pieces for Rex upon their orders.

Michael ended up going off to talk to Jeremiah, whereas Gerson and Dogamy stayed put, before finally being accompanied by William. "Seems Frisk is quite fond of him," he mused.

Gerson and Dogamy glanced to each other. "Him?"

William blinked. "The reptile…are they not a boy then?"

The turtle gave a shrug. "Heck if I know."

The human stared at them blankly. "…how do you not know…?"

Dogamy smiled. "Our kingdom is very laidback with this kind of thing. Ghost monsters are a good example to this, as they can pick their gender identity when they have a form. For us, it's not important what gender they are."

"But the name is Rex…I'd assume that would be a masculine name."

"True," Gerson said. "But Rex could be a nickname. It's not common, but there are names like Roxanne that are spelled with an 'e' instead of an 'o'."

"Are there names like that…?"

Dogamy chuckled. "You'd be surprised."

"…so you really don't know?"

"Haven't the foggiest," Gerson assured with an amused smile.

* * *

"Think fast!" Frisk gasped and whirled, raising up a hand, summoning something from the core of their being. As their eyes focused, a spilling cup was grayed out, frozen in midair. "Good," William said, clapping a little. "See? You're getting the hang of things." He came forward, grabbing the cup, fluidly swooping up the liquid. "Seems you're a fast learner, hm?"

Frisk shrugged, and he knelt down, cupping their chin to get them to look at him. They were in the Capital Building, in a large office on one of the higher floors. This was so that Frisk could practice time manipulation without harming anything. "Fast reflexes, but your accuracy needs some work. Plus, your time bubbles is more of a splash of effect, rather than a sphere to contain things."

"However," he stated swiftly. "I was here once too, and you're certainly managing it much better than I had…though, to be fair, I didn't have a Red Magic user teaching me."

Frisk tilted their head in confusion. "…huh?"

"I told you, we're rare. We won't always have a teacher of our own magic type, so someone else has to attempt teaching it to us…" He smirked. "And hope we don't take advantage of our abilities to slack off on them."

The child was quiet. "You said that the government…basically takes in Red Magic users…how soon? What about their family?"

A light seemed to die away in William's eyes, and he sighed quietly. "…as soon as your eye color is known, really. As for your family…" He chuckled, but it sounded hollow. "Heck if I'll ever know. The concept that the two from the government weren't my family…I didn't understand that until I was an adult. By then…it was twenty years. Things happen."

"Then…why was I living with my grandparents?"

"I would like to ask you the same thing," William replied. "Somehow, your parents hid away your eye color—and you lived peacefully away from the government's will. On one hand, I'm kinda jealous," he admitted. "On the other…it worries me. Red magic is dangerous in the wrong hands, obviously."

Frisk nodded, knowing first hand, just how dangerous it was if the wrong person had sway over time and death itself. "So, why did your family do that? Yes, they hid you well, but if they were found by us, they'd be in trouble for hiding you. And if they were found by…others, who would take advantage of you…"

William sighed. "It's just not worth the risk…would parents really risk that much to hold onto a child?" He shrugged. "Then again, that's not my place to say. I obviously don't have the best reference for that."

Frisk looked at him, not fully understanding how it had hurt, but they stepped forward, and gave him a hug. William paused, and then smiled, returning the embrace. "Just a spoonful of sugar, aren't you?"

 _'Well,'_ Sans murmured. _'That explains why Gerson's medicine is so easy to take.'_

 _'…that was a joke there, wasn't it?'_ Papyrus asked, and Frisk could practically see him glaring at his brother.

Toriel laughed softly. _'Probably…'_

Frisk tuned them out the best they could, before slowly letting go. "I don't know much," they murmured to William. "I remember my grandparents, but what you said…some of my life makes a little more sense. They were hiding me—for better or worse."

"Well, can't exactly go scold them or ask them at this point," William replied as he strode over to one of the windows that overlooked the inner courtyard. "But you remember where you lived…that means we have a chance of learning who you were exactly."

Frisk shrugged as they came over, not really understanding why it was so important. They knew who they were, so why did it matter who had caused them to be? They didn't remember their own parents, thus making it hard to care for them—despite how much Frisk wished they could feel something.

Their grandparents on the other hand…but the child found themselves on a fence. On one hand, it would be good to know who they were and had been, but on the other…Frisk wanted it to stay as it was in their memories. Free of government and regulations that their grandparents disobeyed.

"Oh." Frisk looked up in confusion as William motioned out the large window. They came up to it, looking down into the beautiful courtyard. It was of generous size, perhaps big enough to put a small house in with space to move around it. It was mostly covered in grass, aside from a man-made stream that snaked through it.

There was even a little bridge that Frisk could make out through the trees that also grew down there. However, what got their attention was the blasts of Aqua and Orange magic. And a moment later, the fusion caught sight of Dogamy and Michael.

After some time, the two had actually become good friends, and more often than not, the two would spar when they were at the Capital building.

Dogamy gasped as he lunged over the bridge, and darted behind a tree, peering out warily. This battle would be different if he had a mock weapon, but for now, he and Michael were using harmless magic. As he peered back around, he found that the human was no longer in sight. He huffed in amusement, and breathed in. Then, with a smirk, he slunk away.

A minute later, Michael called out as he was tackled to the ground. "I think I win," Dogamy said.

"I think I need to off-limit your pounce," Michael gasped.

There was clapping that caught their attention, and they raised their heads to spot Clarabelle. "Oh…did we lose our head of security? Too bad."

"You wound me. You didn't shed a single tear," Michael replied as Dogamy let him sit up.

"I'm crying on the inside," she stated.

"More like laughing," Dogamy muttered to the human beside him.

"Hey," Michael complained as the canine chuckled.

Clarabelle sighed, and then came over. "Captain Dogamy…I…" She sighed, folding her arms as she closed her eyes. "I apologize for the way I've treated you and the others. I acted on behalf of my Leader's safety, and I hope you understand that. He's not easily replaced, and I would rather not lose him before his time. I look out for his wellbeing above all others…and sometimes that will make me seem harsh to others."

"I'm not looking for you to forgive me or anything like that," she assured. "However, I am hoping that we can see eye-to-eye on this matter."

Dogamy smiled and came over, holding out his hand. "As it is my job to look out for those of a similar position, I can understand your actions. How about we just put that behind us, hm?"

She looked down, and then quietly reached out, and they quietly shook. Upstairs, William smiled. "Perfect," he mused. "She's come around."

* * *

"Well," Gerson murmured. "Rex nearly got me in Checkers while you were training, Neck Warmer. How'd you teach them so fast?" Frisk made a mischievous hum in reply as they walked next to him in one of the outer areas of the city.

"Yo! It was so close, Frisk! He almost had me! I was hopping around with just one checker left! But then…" They made an intelligible sound of excitement, and hopped up and down several times to get their point across.

"Clever little thing managed to survive five to one and eventually get out of that little mess they waltzed themselves into."

"Haha, but yo, Frisk, Gerson's a cheater."

"Pretending to move your piece to the wrong spot does not make me a cheater," Gerson said with a snicker.

"See what I mean!?"

Frisk giggled, and then pointed. The three had gone to a park, while Dogamy opted to help Michael with something. The plan was for the two to play until he was ready to head back. Gerson looked around, spotting a bench in the shade. "All right, little munchkins. Go have fun, I'll be over here if you need anything."

The two gasped, and darted off to a playground, laughing as they ran around. Gerson sighed contently. Honestly, Frisk was a kid in that moment—the way they were supposed to be. He leaned back, his eyes drooping, but he avoided falling asleep.

They played for nearly an hour, before movement caught Gerson's eye. He turned to see a human hurrying through the park with an armful of books. The turtle watched them absentmindedly, before jerking to full attention as they tripped over something, the books all spilling over the ground.

Gerson didn't really think about it as he approached, and knelt, gathering up the books. "Should be a bit more careful, doesn't do any good to carry that much if you can't see where you're going."

"Sorry," the human managed, having yet to look up. "I needed to take these back to the library, and I don't have a car, so—" As they rambled off their reasons, Gerson noted that they seemed to be a young adult—maybe still a teenager, dressed in a messy t-shirt and jeans, with odd curly red hair.

"Anyways, thanks," they said, started to grab the books he held. Then he looked up, and froze, green eyes widening behind glasses as they stared. "…y—you're a…monster…"

Gerson sighed. "That I am…" He started to stand. That was right, the humans were wary.

"Oh—um—wait!" The human jerked to his feet, a few of the books clattering back to the ground. "I was wondering—um…well, this is kind of awkward, but…I, and a lot of others, um…" He sighed. "Oh, I'll get to the point. We're curious about your kind—can I ask you some questions about monsters—if…I'm not prying or anything…sorry, that probably sounded weird…"

Gerson blinked. "…you want to talk…?"

"Yes…"

"To a monster?"

The human tapped his fingers together sheepishly. "I can't help the other half of the human population…"

Gerson eyed the human, and then glanced back at the playground. "Well, I'll be here a while longer, I suppose we can talk. Let's just go over to that bench. Not as young as I used to be…" The young man's eyes lit up in amazement and wonder at the agreement.

"That's great—go ahead, I can get the books!" With that, the teenager was a speed-demon, rushing to get everything. Gerson couldn't help a huff of amusement. Seems monsters could cause a variety of reactions, if this one was anything to go by.

* * *

 **Note: Characters like Chara, Frisk, Rex, and even Napstablook's gender are determined by the reader in Corrupted File. Just in some cases, the gender isn't known by most, because it's not important to them. o.o' Plus, Rex's name does sound naturally masculine, so I needed to clear that up. W; Boy, girl, they, whichever you want. That's the way it's always been in this story. .o. If they get referred to as one or the other by a character, that's probably an intentional wording, but doesn't mean it's right. XD**


	55. Keep them Safe

Gerson glanced to the playground, watching the two children continue to play, as he took his seat back on the bench, before his gaze went back to the young human who had scurried to pick up all the books he had dropped, before coming over to the bench, setting the books down beside it, before taking a seat himself. He swiftly took out a notebook and pen, and the turtle gave a sound of amusement.

"This an interview?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Sorta…? At least for my history group. We don't work with the press or anything, and we really want to know more about monsters since our books don't elaborate on the war—and most people had thought it was fiction…"

"Then ask away," Gerson replied. He had to choke back a full on laugh when the human found that they had so many, that they didn't know where to begin.

"Uh…okay, where to start, where to start…oh!" He looked over excitedly. "How long do monsters live? Are you the same as humans—around one hundred—or is it shorter or longer?"

"Depends on the monster," Gerson replied. "The shortest lifespan we have are for our bug monsters. They tend to go for about two hundred years. Dog and cat monsters tend to go to around four hundred. There are bird monsters and slime monsters that can make it to six hundred. Though most of our aquatic monsters can make it to eight hundred years if they're careful."

"Then there's some monsters like elementals and ghosts that can live indefinitely if they're not killed by other means—and some do have a life span, like skeletons, but they're so rare that even though we know they age to a degree—we don't know what their full life span is."

"So…what category do you fall in?" he asked curiously.

Gerson smirked. "I fall into the Reptile species, so a thousand years—a century or two more if I'm careful."

His green eyes widened. "A thousand years!? Wait—then were you around for the war!?"

"Around for it? Ha. I was in it," Gerson replied. "Though I'm old, so I don't remember the war all too well."

"What were the battles like? How many humans did you take down?" Gerson perked, blinking, and then looked at the young human.

"What makes you think I killed any?"

"You were in battle, right? And if our books are anything to go by, we lost humans in that war."

Gerson gave a dark chuckle. "Seriously? They wrote down that they lost humans to us?" He looked at the human squarely. "Sorry, squirt, but if we had managed to take down one human…well, we wouldn't have been the ones stuck in a mountain for a thousand and some years. Any humans that were lost during the war were done by backstabbing in their own ranks."

The turtle sighed. "We didn't touch a single human—couldn't get close enough, when they started that war to eradicate us."

"What do you mean you couldn't…?" the human asked, obviously at a lost.

"Just the way it was," Gerson murmured. "We may have the better magic, but humans are more physical. Though, actually, I think I have a question for you."

"Hm?"

"You say you're in a history group, and you're obviously very interested in it, but, all the books that you just dropped. Those were all medical books. Something for a doctor."

"Oh…" The green eyes dimmed. "As much as I like history, it's in everyone's best interest if I took a career like that."

Gerson tilted his head. "Wait, why's that?"

"I have green magic—healing magic."

"Right, you humans can only have one type, but still. That shouldn't determine what you are."

The human made a soft sound. "Oh, in this city, your magic defines you." The turtle frowned at that. "If you have orange or yellow magic, you're likely going to be in the police force, or the army. Blue is science or construction, and so forth…green is for a medical career, so…"

"So, because you have healing magic, you're stuck being a healer?" Gerson asked while raising a brow of skepticism.

"It's not like green magic will let me do anything else…"

Gerson snorted. "I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, kid," he said, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Our former Captain of the Guard…she was a force to behold, she was precise, deadly, and…was a primarily green type magic user. A healer."

"Y—your Captain was a green magic user!?"

"Yep, but that didn't stop her—heck, it didn't even slow her down."

"…so…there's no holding back with magic types?"

"Of course not!" Gerson exclaimed. "We have every type of magic user in our guard—granted, some monsters can learn more than one type, but that's beside the point I'm trying to make."

The human breathed out. "Huh…wow. You're lucky. I want to be a historian, but…healing magic has little use there."

"I wouldn't give up on the idea just yet," Gerson stated. "This kind of thing that's going on now…it brings change. Maybe you'll be fortunate and won't be dragged kicking and screaming into a role you don't want to do."

"Made a friend?" Dogamy asked as he came up behind the bench, causing the human to jump slightly in alarm.

Gerson chuckled, looking calmly over to the canine. "More or less," he stated. "Guess you finally finished up?"

"Pretty much. I'm ready to go when you are."

"You're leaving already?" the young man asked in dismay.

"Afraid so, but…" He looked to where Frisk and Rex were playing. "They like it here, so we'll probably be back. If you see me, don't hesitate to come over… …huh, I don't think I caught a name…"

"Kyle," he managed.

"Well, then, Kyle, I'll likely see you around." The turtle slowly stood. "Frisk! Rex! Time to go!" There were complaints, but the two swiftly came down a slide, and rushed off toward Dogamy and Gerson, with the young reptile laughing, having enjoyed the time spent outside of the Underground.

* * *

The next day was free of meetings, allowing Frisk to spend the day in Snowdin. They had gone there to find Rex, and then went to see the pups, so that the current pup-sitters weren't being overwhelmed, as Dogamy, Dogaressa, and the Amalgamate were elsewhere, though Frisk didn't know the details.

When they entered the home, Frisk had to smile at the sight. Doggo was down on all fours, following the black-pawed Beowulf diligently as the pup decided to explore all of his home. Though, the fusion then had to resist laughing. Lesser Dog was sitting in a chair…but they had stretched their neck out across the room so that they were keeping an eye on Lupus and Dogtanian in the corner where they were roughhousing.

The last was Greater Dog—and Frisk still couldn't comprehend how he was so small outside of their armor. The canine was laying on the bed, panting happily as Canis and Dogmatix snuggled into their side. The boy squirmed now and again, but Canis seemed quite content with her spot, snuggling into Greater's side as his tail covered her like a blanket.

It seemed that little one was all right with staying put so long as she had something to snuggle with. Frisk giggled as Dogtanian and Lupus noticed them, and stopped their play fighting. The two raced over, sliding on the floor when they tried to stop, bumping into their legs. Frisk and Rex laughed, and both lowered themselves to better see the puppies.

The two yelped as the pups jumped on them, nearly knocking Frisk over, whereas Dogtanian actually did manage to get Rex to fall on their back. Lesser and Greater Dog laughed as the children tried to handle the pups.

Doggo, on the other hand, was still following Beowulf, his tail wagging wildly at the pup's squirmy movements. The pup paid no mind to where he was exploring, and went under a table. Doggo, unable to see it plowed his head right into it. He fell back with a yelp, clutching his head with a series of pain-filled yips.

Lesser Dog drew their head back, and gave a soft whine of concern. "I'm fine," Doggo assured, while Beowulf came back, tilting his head in bewilderment. "Ow…" the dog managed. "Why did they put that there?" Greater Dog dead-panned at the husky, and gave a short bark as they shook their head at his behavior.

The little boy whined as he crept back toward his Uncle, not understanding what had happened. After a moment, Beowulf pounced, landing in Doggo's lap, before trying to climb up him. "Whoah—where you going?" Doggo demanded as he grabbed Beowulf.

The pup yipped as he was rose up and brought close. The pup batted at Doggo's muzzle—though at this point, the Husky was used to it. Then he squirmed until Doggo was forced to draw him closer—and with that, the pup managed to lick at his forehead, trying to somehow help the wounded area.

There was a pause…before the entire room laughed. As forceful as Beowulf could be, it seemed there was some form of a soft side somewhere in that wild pup. Frisk smiled, petting at Lupus's ears as they watched the others, before finally starting up a conversation with Rex. For a while, they stayed at that canine's home, until lunch time drew near, and Rex invited them over to their own house.

After managing to pry the pups off them, and saying their good byes, the two darted swiftly out, before the pups could reclaim them.

* * *

A minute later, Rex led them between houses, hopping a bit to get over the snow without arms to balance them properly. Finally, they hopped up onto a porch, and then turned, using their tail to knock on the door. "Ma! Pa! I'm home!" Frisk tilted their head in confusion as to why the child had to call for them.

There were light footsteps, and then a blue glow encased the doorknob as it opened. "There's my little sibling," came a confident voice of a slightly older female. She was probably a teenager, and she had cream colored scales, with dull golden spikes.

"Hey, Sis," Rex greeted. "Thanks for opening the door," they added as they stepped forward.

The armless girl smirked, and then leaned down, nuzzling their head roughly. "No problem~"

"Ah—stop that!" they complained.

She snickered and drew back, before looking to the fusion. "Ah, you're the one that Rex has been hanging out with. Here, come in." Frisk quietly shuffled their way in after Rex, watching as the sister used blue magic to close the door again. The fusion noted that it was a handy magic type to use for this breed of monster.

Frisk was led through a short hall, and then to a dining room, where Rex pulled a chair out, grabbing a wooden brace with their foot, and hopping back a few times. "You can sit here," they assured Frisk, before hopping over to the next seat over, while their sister brought a chair from another room to accommodate for the shortage.

"Everything all right in here?" A large male stepped in. He was covered in golden scales like Rex, but his spikes were a strange reddish orange.

"It's all good, Pa," the girl replied.

"That's assuring to hear, Cera," the mother said as she stepped in. Her spikes were cream colored, but her scales were a deep green—nearly black, and would have been mistaken as such if the lights hadn't danced upon them. Then she smiled, looking down with honey-brown eyes. "So is this the child that's keeping my littlest one company?"

"Ma…" Rex complained.

"Itemirus," the father chuckled. "Don't tease them too badly."

"I'll keep that in mind, Aardonyx."

Frisk turned to watch Rex sliding down in their chair, as if to hide away from them. "I'm not here…" they muttered. Frisk watched them, and then giggled softly in amusement at their little display.

"Come, Rex, get back up where we can see you," Aardonyx said, coming around the table, and nipping one of the spikes, using it like a makeshift scruff to get Rex back where they belonged. "I promise, we'll take the teasing down a notch."

"That doesn't help…"

Itemirus snorted in amusement. "They have a point, Dear. We are pretty bad at letting them slip free of any teasing."

"Fine, we'll attempt to not tease them."

"Dear, we know how well that'll end," she replied.

Cera snickered. "Not well at all," she supplied. "It's about as likely as Rex not sneaking out again."

"Ye of little faith," Aardonyx countered. "Not that you're wrong, but ye of little faith."

"So, Rex," Itemirus said as she sat down. "Care to introduce us to your little friend?"

The child smiled, their tail swaying to and fro. "Right! Uh, this is Frisk, they're the ambassador!"

"Right!" Cera exclaimed. "I heard about that back when the barrier broke. So…I'm still confused, wasn't that the human that fell in…?"

"They're the same person!" Rex assured.

Frisk nodded. "There was just an accident…"

Aardonyx gave a quiet rumble. "We've heard bits and pieces, but let's not dwell on that. We didn't set up lunch to talk about the bad things." He turned his head, and then glanced out of the room, before plates and food came floating in on blue plates, setting themselves where they belonged.

The meal went by rather well, with Frisk learning a bit more about Rex's family, though it was standard information about a rather ordinary family, for the most part. Though Frisk quietly noticed that while the parents and Cera used blue magic to eat, Rex would carefully take things in their mouth, without ever using their magic.

At the end of it, Rex slipped out of their chair. "Yo, I'll be right back," they said, and then scampered out of the room.

The others watched the reptile go, and then looked back at Frisk. Itemirus smiled, leaning forward a little. "Thank you for spending time with them, I was beginning to worry about whether they would have any friends to hang around with."

Aardonyx frowned. "Dear, I don't think it's that bad. They haven't had any bullying problems."

"No," she agreed. "But that's not the issue."

"Ma, are you really gonna say?" Cera asked. "You know they don't like it when others know…"

"Dear, you know as well as us that they're safer if people know," her mother stated.

"Kn…know what?" Frisk mumbled quietly.

Aardonyx glanced to his wife and daughter, and then to the fusion, leaning closer. "Rex isn't like the other monsters," he stated, murmuring just loud enough for Frisk's new hearing to pick up on. "You saw at the meal, didn't you? How they didn't use their magic?"

Frisk nodded. "I'm not quite sure how monster magic works, but…I thought it was weird…"

"It's because they _can't_ use magic."

They paused, and looked up at the large reptile. "Huh…?"

Itemirus sighed. "Rex is unable to use their magic. They can keep themselves sustained, and can live just fine, but…magical abilities?" She shook her head.

Frisk paused, and then rose up. "But how is that possible? Monsters always have at least one of the seven types at birth. When they're older, they can branch out to others—depending on their strength."

"That is how it's supposed to work," Cera murmured. "However…Rex wasn't born with any type. Trust me, we did everything to get one of them to work."

"It wouldn't be so bad," Aardonyx continued. "However, they're armless, and not having blue magic—or any at all for their entire life…it's going to be difficult…do you understand what I'm getting at?" He leaned a little closer. "I'm saying to be careful with my child, little one. Because they depend on magic users, and therefore, when they're out with you…they're depending on you to keep them safe."


	56. Didn't make Sense

Frisk stepped back out into the snow, with Rex hopping down after them with a little smile. "Yo…what do you wanna do now?" they asked. The fusion gave a tiny hum, glancing at Rex. A monster that couldn't use their magic…? It just didn't make sense. However, they chose not to worry too much. Rex liked proving their independence, and this fact didn't change their view on the monster at all.

The child looked to the West, thinking it over, before explaining that, as of late, they had wanted to go meet someone. Frisk had been thinking about finding the lizard in the valley again, wishing to speak to him. With their enemy still down in the Abyss, the more they knew about the place, the better.

So, they turned to Rex, explaining the situation. The reptile listened intently, and then nodded. "Yo, sure, let's go there." Frisk warned it'd be a long walk, as Sans wouldn't know where the shortcuts were until he got there. "That's fine. Haha, it'll be a short walk back at least."

The fusion grinned, and then they headed off, the two talking to pass the time. It didn't take too long to get to the Ruins, and it was then that Frisk steered them off the path. Rex was surprisingly good at keeping up, hopping from foot to foot to clear the higher snow. Getting down into the valley was a little more dangerous, at first glance, but Sans had thankfully located a shortcut down below, and sure enough, they managed to get Rex down there in one piece.

Rex wobbled. "Yo—that's so cool that you can do that! I wish I had it for getting to school—haha! Then I wouldn't have to get up so early…" Frisk giggled at that, and then beckoned them onwards, taking shortcuts when they could to cut down on travel time, only stopping when Frisk spotted the little island on the frozen lake.

It seemed like forever ago, that they had come there with the group in the vain hopes to get their loved ones back. Now, in a way, they had accomplished their goal, except…the outcome was not what they had in mind. Frisk shut their eyes for a moment, listening to the murmurs of the others, before their thoughts wandered.

The moment Flowey came to mind; they felt Gaster's rare presence as he swiftly cloaked secrets away from the others. That was when he started to show ill signs of absorbing that soul. The former human kicked at the ground, sending snow flying. Why did Flowey have to be so stubborn!?

If he had said something—anything! Maybe—maybe they could have stopped that from happening but…with everything as it was, Frisk could not risk resetting anymore unless it was the only option left.

They turned as something pressed against their shoulder, and found that Rex had rested their head on it. "Yo…you feeling okay?" Frisk blinked, and then gave a small smile with a nod. "Then let's continue," they urged gently. "Since we're going to freeze our feet off if we stay too long, haha…"

The child laughed, and then they continued, before finally, they spotted the home in the valley. Frisk rushed toward the door, rising up on their tip toes as they knocked swiftly. Rex caught up, panting a little as Frisk stepped back, waiting expectantly.

But nobody came… Frisk frowned, and knocked again, louder this time. Still, there was nothing.

Out of frustration, Frisk tried the door, only for the children, and the other souls to jerk in surprise when the knob turned. Frisk hesitated, and then pushed the door opened. It opened slowly with a shrill creak, revealing the darkened home inside. Frisk stood in the doorway, their ear fins twitching slightly.

"Yo…" Rex whispered. "…do you hear anything?"

Frisk was quiet, before shaking their head, and stepping in. Before, despite Siba's distaste for visitors, the light of his home had made it feel welcoming. Now, the house was just as cold as that lizard was.

Rex glanced back over their shoulder, before stepping in after Frisk. "Haha…maybe…he went out for a bit? For food or something?"

Frisk shook their head as Alphys came forth. "N—no. The house is freezing." Frisk's tail flicked nervously. "If he had stepped out—he'd have done something to keep the warmth going. You know we reptiles can't stand the cold for long."

"Then…what's going on?"

Frisk turned, their blue eye blazing. "Just stay put, we'll look around," they said, their tone changing, and Rex vaguely recognized it as Sans's more laid back tone—despite the serious edge to it. The reptile nodded, and hunkered down in the doorway as the fusion turned, taking everything in.

"The heat is long gone…meaning nothing in here has been tended to for at least a few days," the fusion murmured, though it was Sans's observation. They walked around, heading over to the door that likely led to the bedroom. "The place is intact to when Frisk was here, so the chance that he was attacked is low…"

They opened the door to the bedroom, and then looked back at the main area. "There's no dust in the home, so he hasn't died…" Their attention was brought back to the desk, and swiftly, the fusion came over, seeing a scroll. They picked it up, and as Frisk read it, they realized it was the Haiku he had written.

Frisk thought back to that moment, remembering that Siba had stated that he planned to add more to it. However, it was the same length as before. Frisk frowned as the others stirred. _'Huh…he never got back to it? Sounds like Siba hasn't been here since you were, Kid,'_ Sans observed.

 _'But why would he leave?'_ Papyrus asked. _'And so quickly that he didn't take anything.'_

 _'Yeah,'_ Undyne argued. _'It looked like he wanted to come back if he left all his stuff here.'_

 _'U—unless something happened to him out there…'_ Alphys mumbled.

 _'Or that he's scared to come back,'_ Muffet suddenly interjected.

 _'What makes you say that?'_ Toriel asked softly.

 _'He told us the entrance of the Abyss, despite that he clearly didn't want us going there…that means…he knew about the seal that would have stopped any monsters from getting down. He knew we'd be stopped at that point if we didn't quit sooner.'_

Asgore was the one who spoke next. _'Are you saying that he fled to avoid being confronted over it?'_

 _'I could see that happening,'_ Sans replied.

 _'That is just rude though! Leaving without telling anyone—and also assuming that Frisk would let a mere seal stop them!'_ Papyrus exclaimed.

Frisk clutched their head with their upper hands, while a lower hand closed into a fist, before giving a cry, swiping things off the desk in a fit of anger that was mostly influenced by Undyne. "Frisk!?" Rex called in alarm; stepping in. "Is everything okay…?"

Frisk staggered toward them, and they came forward, dipping their head down to catch the fusion before they actually fell. "Easy…" the reptile soothed. "Yo…do…do you need anything?" they questioned.

"S…sorry…" Frisk managed as the others drew back so that they could think. "I'm sorry," they stammered. "L…let's go…" Rex nodded slowly in understanding.

"Can I…help in some way?"

Frisk shook their head. "He's long gone; he's had plenty of time to hide away from civilization…" They shuddered. "This is bad…"

"Yo…I don't know all the details, but why did we need to find him?"

"Because he had information about the place I went to, Rex…I didn't think he would run though. And now that he's gone…I can't learn anything about it at all." The slim hopes of countering the enemy, now that they were back on their feet…it was all gone, just like that.

Frisk went back to the front door, closing it while summoning a flame in a spare hand so that there was a light source. Then, they rested another hand on Rex's shoulder. "…let's head back…" They stepped into the bed room…and appeared in front of Rex's home.

The reptile looked the human over worriedly. "Frisk…" they murmured softly. "I…I'm sorry that it didn't work out, but um…" They came forward, nuzzling their shoulder as their form of comfort.

The fusion paused, and then drew their arms around the young monster in response, quietly hugging them with a mumble of gratitude. Rex grinned a little, their tail swaying. "We'll figure something out sooner or later, right?" they asked gently. "You're good at that…"

 _'More like the kid just doesn't know when to quit,'_ Sans mumbled with a bit of a chuckle.

Frisk tightened their hold briefly, and then let go, stepping back. They assured the monster they were feeling better now, but they had something they wanted to do. Rex nodded. "Yo, that's fine. I'll see you later then." Frisk nodded, and then ran off, vanishing into a short cut with a final wave.

Rex quietly watched them go, and then looked back toward the West. So the person disappeared…? The child stomped their foot down defiantly. That monster would have to still be in the kingdom! Someone would have noticed if he tried to leave through the only exit. They would have to go past Frisk, or someone the fusion knew, in order to escape.

With that said, that still left the rest of the Underground, and the child knew they couldn't get everywhere, but… They smiled, and headed up the stairs, whacking the door with their tail to get someone to open it. "Hey, Sis!" they greeted.

"There you are, Rex…what's up?"

"Yo, I was wondering…have you seen a certain monster?"

* * *

"Chara, are you hiding?" Grillby asked as he sat beside Muffet's limp form. There was silence, and then the little ghost poked their head out from the ceiling. "It's just me," the elemental assured. Slowly, Chara floated down, resting on an empty spot of where Muffet's body laid.

They tilted their head in confusion, obviously wondering what he wanted. "There's…another matter that I wanted to ask you about…" They paused, before slowly turning their form toward him, to show that he had their attention.

"That day in the gardens—when you attacked the other human... You took control, and spoke with the flower." Chara stiffened, and the light that made them dimmed drastically. "You called him by name—but not the name I came to know afterwards. You called him Asriel."

The ghost fidgeted, squirming uncomfortably. "I don't know why or how that is his name, I don't fully understand everything that's going on in the background—however, that was the name of our Prince. You couldn't have known that unless…" He looked to them squarely. "Unless you were the first of the fallen."

Chara's emotions stirred, and Grillby could easily pick up on it. "Well, I suppose that answers that. You were the little one that the prince was so fond of…" He sighed. "And that was so long ago…you poor child." Chara warily glanced back to him. "You were alone for all those years, and then you wake up to this."

The ghost had nothing to say, even if he could have understood. "You should have passed on shortly after your death," Grillby mused. "But you haven't…that tends to mean you have unfinished business…would I be wrong if I were to assume it is related to Prince Asriel?"

Again, he seemed on the mark, despite having little to no information as to what was going on. Chara slowly nodded, drawing their arms around themselves. "…then you're going to be here quite a while longer, won't you?"

They dipped their head in agreement to his words. They didn't know how long—or if there was even the slightest chance that they could move on. They wanted Asriel…they wanted to talk to him—not the flower—not a hollow version of him. They wanted to find the Asriel that had been their brother…their friend.

Until that day, they would not find the will to move on, but right now, it was hopeless. They looked over to Muffet's form, where the broken human soul resided, and they dimmed even further. It scared them a little, that this could have been caused by their own hand. The deaths and injuries…the pain of losing others…

Yet, Chara didn't understand it. They knew that they and the corruption were nearly one in the same. So what was the one difference that allowed the Corruption to be as it was, and for them to still hold onto their sanity?

"Chara…" the elemental started.

They focused their attention back on him, studying him. They didn't know him too well, in all honesty. Before they escaped the Abyss, everything Chara knew about him was by looking through someone else's eyes. He was typically calm in any given situation, which allowed him to be precise, even when things were getting stressful.

However, he wasn't inherently strong. His emotions were what fueled his strength—even more so than other monsters. Chara only saw him lose his temper once, and it was after everything else had withered him down.

The elemental took his glasses off, revealing the nearly white embers that were his eyes. "You have nowhere to go for now…I think it would be in your best interest, if you were in someone's care." He slowly reached out for the ghost. "This is your choice, and I may not be much, but…" Chara blinked, realizing what he was offering. Safety…a place to stay…

However, before they could make a decision, they were interrupted. "Uncle Grillby?" came a quiet voice. Chara instantly flew out of sight while Grillby jerked his head up to see Frisk at the entrance of the room.

He was caught slightly off guard by the child referring to him as an Uncle, but he pushed the concern aside. "Frisk? What brings you down here? Is something wrong?"

They shook their head and quietly came over, their gaze going to Muffet's form. They closed their eyes, and the elemental paused as a hand took his. When he glanced down, he found it was one of the lower arms that had done so. "…you don't have to do this, Sir…" It was Frisk that spoke, but the mannerisms told him that the words were Muffet's.

"…do what?" he managed, finding it awkward to talk to her though the fusion.

"Don't you have something better to do?" they murmured. "Surely, there are things that need to be tended to, there's no need to come down here to a body that isn't about to do anything. You have a business to run, a family to keep in check…and with humans around…"

Grillby sighed softly, his flames wavering as he thought of how to reply. "It may not be you right now…and you may be part of this strange fusion, Miss. Muffet, but…" His hand closed a little tighter around hers.

"That does not mean I should forget about you, now does it? We can't exactly talk like this—with prying ears that can't help themselves…and even if they could, Frisk is far too busy juggling the life of an Ambassador with so many other things.

"True, I do not gain something from being here—but it feels wrong to do otherwise…though I doubt that makes much sense. Yet, Miss. Muffet…I assure you, we'll figure out a way to get you back to normal, and when we do…I think we may want to finally talk."

There was a pause, and then the child smiled—though he felt that was Muffet's doing. "You may be right about that," they stated. "And…thank you, Sir. You really are going out of your way." Despite insistence from the other souls, Muffet held back some other words, glaring at the others she had to stay with.

With that, they slowly let go, and the fusion went to leave, but then they stopped just before leaving the room. "I always saw you as my most loyal customer, but…" There was a soft laugh. "I didn't realize just how far you went to prove that point…"

Grillby's flames darkened slightly. "That…just happens to be who I am, I suppose…"

"Then I suppose we can't really complain about that, now can we, Sir?" was the amused response. With that, the fusion hurried away down the hall, with Grillby watching them go, and trying to sort out what was actually said in that conversation, with them partially weaving and dancing around the facts.

He drew a hand over his face. The sooner she was back in her body, the better off they'd all be.

It was then, that he drew his attention back to where the ghost had been hidden. "Well, child…?" he asked as he extended his hand once again.

There was a long bout of silence before a small red hand rested in his.


	57. Colorless Eyes

"Yo…" Rex murmured as they peered out at the park from their position on the playground. "Isn't that the human that was here last time?" Frisk gave a hum of confusion, before turning to find the young man that had spoken with Gerson last time. With that, the fusion quietly nodded. "He seems to like talking to Gerson…" Frisk shrugged, and then nudged Rex toward one of the slides.

"Oh, be careful," a soft voice called. They looked up to see Napstablook glancing down at them from the roof of the playset, as they had accompanied the group for once. It was late evening, with the group planning to head back soon.

"So…humans won…just like that?" Kyle asked in confusion.

"Pretty much."

"But—but how did we not lose _anyone_?"

Gerson sighed. "Humans are physically stronger. It's difficult to overwhelm them."

Kyle folded his arms in irritation. "So much for accurate history books."

Gerson snorted. "Well, to be fair, the writers probably didn't know any better. Though if it interests you, I can give you some of our history books," he offered. "Then you'll see our side of the story."

"Wh—really?" Kyle asked in surprise.

The turtle nodded. "Reading some books shouldn't hurt anyone, now should it?"

"Reading them won't hurt anybody." The two turned to see Dogamy. "Though my wife has good aim when she's angry."

Gerson snickered. "I hope she only threw paperbacks at you."

"I had hoped so too…" Dogamy chuckled. "Could have been worse."

"Done?" Gerson asked.

"Pretty much," the canine replied. "I'll be ready to go when you are."

"The kids wouldn't mind a few more minutes…"

Dogamy snorted. "All three of them?"

"Wha? Hey!" Kyle retorted while Gerson laughed.

"Go bother the other two," the turtle insisted.

"Yes, Sir," Dogamy replied with an amused smirk, before racing over to the playground, darting under it, before stealthily lying in wait at the bottom of one of the slides. When Frisk came down, he waited a brief moment, before lunging forward and grabbing them. Frisk squealed in alarm, flailing their limbs, their eyes blazing from the surprise.

Gerson snickered at the sight. Then, he and Kyle paused as Rex reached the bottom of the slide to see the predicament Frisk had managed to get themselves in for the five seconds they couldn't see each other.

The reptile hopped up onto their feet, before crouching down, preparing to leap. Then, the child lunged with a battle cry, plowing into Dogamy's back. The dog yelped, turning as he fell so that he landed on his side. However, the impact caused him to lose his grip, and Frisk squirmed free, before both children darted back onto the playground for safety.

Gerson laughed at the sight. "And the knight rescues the royal, and hides them back in their castle," he called to them.

"Grandpa!" Frisk squeaked.

"And you told me to bother the children," Dogamy called back with a laugh.

"Yes, and you got what was coming to you."

"Why!?" The dog demanded in bewilderment. "I didn't even do anything!"

* * *

Half an hour later, the turtle decided it was finally time to leave. However, he could tell Kyle wasn't about ready to stop talking. The turtle chuckled. "If you want more, you're free to walk with us a while."

Kyle practically leapt at the offer, as Gerson called the children down, with Napstablook floating down after them. "Oh," Dogamy said as he came back. "William offered that if we came back, he could have Michael drive us so that we don't have to walk so far."

"We have cell phones," Gerson pointed out. "Do we have to walk back to the Capital Building?"

"We do, but it turns out our network, and their network are two different things. So Mettaton has yet another project to work on."

Gerson sighed. "Of course. Well, let's get back over to the capital, all right?" There was a quiet groan from Frisk, who just wanted to go home, but they consented as they hurried over to Gerson, and the group headed off.

Due to the way the city was built, there were a few rivers that snuck their way through it. Yet, as they started to cross a bridge to get to the next ring of the city, Napstablook slowed, and then came to a stop, looking down quietly.

Dogamy noticed, and turned as he came to a stop. "What's wrong, Napstablook?"

"Oh…um…I just noticed…there's someone under the bridge. I'm sorry, it's probably nothing, I just thought it was weird…"

Frisk frowned and then went over to the edge of the bridge, trying to see what was there, but it seemed that they were in the shadow of the bridge, and couldn't be seen from where Frisk stood. It didn't help that due to the night claiming the sky, they didn't have much of the sun or the moon to reveal anything. Frisk looked up, asking the group to wait a moment, before heading back to the outer ring, looking around for a smooth way to the area below.

Once they slid down there, they approached the bit of ground beneath the bridge, their ear fins twitching as they heard the soft lapping of the water hitting the shore. They clenched all four of their hands as they approached, noticing objects strewn about. The other monsters stirred in confusion, but Frisk knew what it was, seeing it from movies, and hearing from stories.

A homeless person. Frisk looked at their supplies mostly piled up in a bag. They were scavengers, barely getting by. The fusion didn't know how they wound up in this mess, but they pitied the human. As they got closer, they found that the human was asleep under a worn blanket, unaware of their presence.

Frisk felt the others and their concern as they were compelled to go closer, though they felt Sans becoming wary, fearing that there might be a trap. As they got closer, they found it to be what seemed like an older man, with untamed hair and a beard that desperately needed to be tended to.

They took another step, but froze when their furred feet met something. They looked down, drawing back to find a tin can, and peering in, they could see coins. A beggar as well… Frisk couldn't help the urge as they reached into a pocket, taking out a handful of gold coins, and then slipped them into the tin can, nearly filling it to the brim.

However, the slight noise roused the human, and he jerked up in surprise, and for a moment, their eyes met. Frisk stared at gray, colorless eyes that were tired, and perhaps had seen more than Frisk would ever want. They stared as Frisk allowed one last coin to fall. Then, the fusion stepped back, before whirling around, and darting back the way they came.

Soon enough, Frisk was back on the bridge, panting slightly. "Yo, are you all right?" Rex asked as they approached. Frisk nodded as they panted, before making a soft sound of surprise as they were scooped up.

"There you are, Neck-Warmer," Gerson said as he placed them on his shoulders.

Dogamy came close, sniffing at them, and then drew back. "Is that other human all right…?" he asked as he brought a hand over his sensitive nose.

Frisk nodded. He was alive, and now had a bit of money to spend, hopefully. Though, they doubt a tin can full of gold coins would get him too far. Frisk pondered if perhaps, they should go back and do something more, even as they were carried into the city, with Napstablook floating overhead, while Kyle continued talking to Gerson as they passed closed buildings.

Napstablook realized a second before it happened. Dogamy caught the scent half a second later. In the next moment, the group cried out, with Rex hopping away as a human lunged at them. Frisk's thoughts instantly focused on the attack. Several humans—three at least—no, a few more than that! Frisk tumbled off Gerson to get out of his way, as he drew out his war hammer on instinct.

The fray confused Frisk as all their minds tried to process it. Dogamy had drawn his axe out, Kyle had stumbled back in a panic—and Rex was nearing them—though they couldn't see Napstablook. Frisk gasped, lunging away as a human tried to hit them, and with reluctance, they drew out their dagger.

They dodged attacks of a different origin, and they didn't like it. Fighting monsters, and then fighting humans—it felt different. The way they moved, the way they attacked—it wasn't something they were accustomed to. Their heart hammered in a panic. They didn't want to die here!

Frisk was so busy dodging attacks from the unoccupied attackers that they didn't notice that they were getting forced into the alleyway, until they were in it. They gasped, realizing there were two humans. They looked about for a shortcut, but there was none that they could reach.

The fusion gritted their teeth, their palms aching as they felt the magic surge through them. Now that they weren't numbed by the transformation—the magic felt strange, all of it rushing through them. There were so many different energies, merging into one thing within them. Not that they were quite able to focus on that with knives being pointed at them. They summoned their magic, but were grabbed by their shirt collar, and yanked off the ground.

"Yo!" The other human fell with a grunt, as Rex plowed into them, falling with them. The unexpected weight and piercing talons caught the human off guard as Rex sent their head against the unforgiving concrete. Frisk started—the older souls within them stirring madly as they realized there was another child in the fray.

The second human turned in surprise as Rex stepped on the hilt of the blade the human had held. Their raptor like feet clutched it, and then they hopped back, raising the blade. With a lack of arms and magic, Rex had no other way to grab the weapon. Yet, they seemed oddly at ease as they balanced on one foot.

Frisk squirmed, and then activated their green magic, locking the human's soul in place. The action caught them off guard, and Frisk took the chance to kick them, their monster feet adding extra power to the action. With a grunt, the child was dropped. The human went to grab them, but Rex lunged forward, the blade now somehow being held in their mouth.

The human cried out as they hit the ground, with Rex stumbling back, reacting on instincts alone. "Frisk! Run!"

The child grabbed the reptile's shirt, and tugged them after them as they ran back out of the alleyway—Just in time to see Dogamy tackle a human to the ground, and for Gerson to wallop another with his War Hammer, sending the human onto their back.

It was then that sirens filled the air. The monsters looked around in confusion, while Frisk's gaze went to Kyle, who had fled to the other side of the street, unable to fight, but he had his cell phone in hand. He looked warily over, and then beckoned them. "Over here—I called the police!"

"Wait—" Dogamy whipped his head around. "Where's Napstablook?"

"Over here!" The ghost flew into view. "I'm sorry, I worried you…"

"Are you all right?" Gerson asked. "I don't see one of the humans…"

"I'm fine…that other human…I think I scared them…they fainted in one of the alleyways…"

Gerson raised a brow, but before anything else could be said, several police cars pulled up, with Michael hopping out the back of one of them with great haste. The rest of that evening was a blur to Frisk, with everyone explaining what happened, and police apprehending the attackers, until finally, Frisk started crying, too drained to continue.

Things were smoothed out swiftly, with Michael taking one of the cars to drive the monsters to the house they had instructed him to go to. Frisk wedged themselves between Gerson and Rex, hugging the young reptile tight as they snuggled into the turtle's side, quivering harshly.

Michael apologized constantly during the ride back, as he was just as stunned as the monsters. True, an attack was never out of the question—but they had been doing so well up to that point that it seemed to have come out of nowhere.

The man was confused, however, as they pulled up by Frisk's former home. "How come I'm dropping you off here now?" he asked. "Isn't this a lot farther from your home if we start here?"

"It's all right," Dogamy said as the others got out. "We'll manage. You should head back now…I'm sure you have some papers to fill out." Michael placed his head against the wheel with a groan.

Dogamy chuckled slightly, and stepped out, going to the others as Michael pulled away, and eventually, there was nothing to see, but some dimming tail lights under the night sky. Once he was gone, Frisk turned, and hurried to the house, taking the spare key they had discovered upon their earlier visit, to open the door, and once everyone was in, they took them through a shortcut, and got them to the Royal's home in the Underground.

The monsters sat at the table, aside from Napstablook, who had vanished already. Though as they rested, Rex wouldn't settle. "Yo…what…what was that about!?" they demanded. "Why did we get attacked!?"

Gerson sighed. "Sorry, kid, that's just the way some things are. Humans don't like monsters—that's why we got trapped down here in the first place."

"But—why now!?"

"There could have been several reasons," Dogamy replied. "It could have just been because we were monsters, or…" He sighed. "Frisk is the ambassador. That makes them a target."

"Wait—if they're a target—then this can happen again!?" the child exclaimed, their eyes wide.

"I'm afraid so," Gerson said.

"But—that's not fair! They can't go anywhere safely!"

Dogamy nodded. "Which is why—even if we're around, we'd understand if you—and your parents definitely—would want you to stay put." Frisk lowered their head, realizing that they'd go back to going down into the city without Rex's company. "After all—"

"You're forcing me to stay!?" Rex demanded, and then stomped a foot. "That means there's fewer of us protecting Frisk! Please! Let me stay! I can help—I _did_ help!"

Gerson raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

Frisk looked up. "T…they knocked down one human and wounded another so that I could get away…"

"He what now?" Dogamy asked in surprise, before Rex sheepishly described what they had done, with Frisk adding in one or two details.

"So please, let me keep coming!" they pleaded.

"Kid, that, at best, was all a fluke," Gerson replied.

"But—"

"I'm a thousand and some years old, I know what I'm talking about," Gerson interrupted. "You were fortunate with the first human, because they were off guard—but that was wrong." They looked taken aback. "You attacked them without warning."

"But they did—"

"Just because they did doesn't mean you should," Gerson said. "You have to fight honorably. The second one was pinned by the green magic; there was no need to further attack them." Rex looked down, claws digging into the wood. "However…" Gerson relented. "That was brave of you, and you thought quickly on your feet…you do have potential."

Rex jerked up in surprise. "Huh…?"

"There's some obvious obstacles, of course," Gerson continued. "With a lack of arms, and the inability to use blue magic, but you've got your talons and your mouth…let's work with that. You want to protect Frisk, right?"

"Yes!"

"Then you're going to have to learn a thing or two about combat," Gerson said. "And I could teach you…well, if you're interested, that is."

"Yo…I…of course!"

Before Frisk knew it, their friend and Gerson were making plans for training. The child couldn't get their head around it in their already exhausted state. That night, sleep refused to come, and eventually, they got up, and teleported out of the Royal's Home.


	58. Still a Child

Frisk stumbled through their shortcut, shuddering as their furred feet made contact with the slightly damp ground of Waterfall. They looked up, spotting the cousins' homes, and went up to Napstablook's, knocking on the door quietly before hanging their head in exhaustion, their horns seeming to weigh them down.

The door opened in a few moments to reveal Napstablook, who stopped in surprise to see Frisk at their doorstep so late in the night. "Oh…um…hello, Frisk…"

"Napstablook," they mumbled, before tiredly looking up. "Can we lay on the floor and feel like garbage?" they whined.

The ghost paused, and then offered a sympathetic smile. "Sure," they replied as they opened the door fully, allowing the child to enter. They staggered in, and then dropped to the floor on their stomach, not even bothering to turn their head.

Napstablook closed the door, and then floated over to them. "Um…are…are you going to be all right?" There was a muffled grunt. "Oh…" They lay down next to the child. "At least roll onto your back," the ghost insisted softly. "It feels a little better that way…"

As the ghost lowered themselves beside the child, they rolled onto their back, their arms spread as they stared blankly at the ceiling. For a bit, neither of them said anything, even when the sensation of drifting in space came to the two. Frisk's eyes drooped, but they did not fall asleep.

Eventually, Napstablook spoke. "Um…do…do you want to talk, Frisk?"

"…about what?" they responded.

"Anything, really…I don't mind…"

The fusion sighed. "I don't know…it's so confusing…"

"I…I know you have the others to talk to if you want, and I know this has to be rather difficult for you, but um…I uh…if you want, I'm up to listening, at least…I think it'd help, really."

Frisk's gaze went to the ghost briefly as they hesitated over the idea. "Don't know where to start," they mumbled.

"Then…I'll start," the ghost offered. "Is this about the attack…?"

"…not exactly…" Frisk murmured, closing their eyes as they felt the others stirring, trying to sort out Frisk's thoughts so that they could make sense of the issue. "It's the other things…"

"Like…?"

"…like Rex," they stated quietly.

"Oh…? What about them?"

"I'm worried…"

"Why?"

Frisk drew their upper hands over their eyes. "They want to learn how to fight because of that…"

"Are you against that?"

"Yes—no—I don't know!" the child complained.

"Is it their safety or just the idea of them fighting?" Napstablook asked, knowing that the child was genuinely against violence, but not above using it in self-defense.

"…their safety, I think…" they replied. "Rex doesn't have magic like the rest of you…and no arms either. They're just going to get hurt—I don't understand why Grandpa Gerson is going along with this!" they cried, tossing their arms out in confused frustration.

"…Gerson wouldn't take Rex in if he thought they couldn't learn. Gerson's a warrior, remember? And we've had monsters in different forms and abilities become soldiers and guardsman…if there was anyone's judgement to trust…it'd be Gerson's…"

"But, Rex…"

The ghost smiled. "It's their idea, right? It's what they want to do, isn't it?"

"…it was their idea…" the child grumbled.

"Then don't stop them. If they're happy with this, then it's good, right?" Napstablook asked.

"…I don't want them to get hurt…"

"…don't you think they're less likely to get hurt if they know how to defend themselves?"

The child was quiet, and then folded their arms, grumbling unhappily at the ghost's logic. Napstablook's smile broadened, knowing they had brought reason to it. However, it dimmed away. "You're tired, aren't you?"

"Can't fall asleep…"

"No, not that tired," Napstablook murmured. "I'm sorry, I should have been clearer…but…I can tell. You're being run ragged right now. You're our Ambassador, but you hold the minds of our leaders, and the like. You can't help but try to be all of them at once, but…you're still only one being, and more importantly than that…you're still a child.

"I'm not saying your age should stop you from doing anything, but…you're not meant to be tossed about from meeting to meeting. You deserve to be a little kid and run around sometimes…and Rex helps with that, but…I'm sorry, that it's like that."

Frisk bit their lip. "We can manage," they murmured.

"…but can you?"

The fusion quivered, the other souls stirring again as they tried to soothe the child. Napstablook drifted over, nestling beside them. "…um…I know that you…don't like crying…or breaking down in front of others…I get that…I wouldn't want to do that either, that's why I go to the Ruins sometimes…

"But, you know, it'll help if you broke down from time to time…or else it's just gonna get all bottled up, and then…you're going to break at a really bad time. I'm sorry, I don't know how I want to say this, but…

"…it's okay to cry…we won't fault you for that. You may be the savior of the Monster Kingdom…you may be someone who defies time and death…you may be the ambassador…a fusion of many beings, but in the end…you're still Frisk, you're still a child…and you're allowed to cry when you've had enough."

"I—I'm fine," the child protested.

"No…you're not…" Napstablook said as they reached out with their magic. The fusion jerked a little as they felt blue magic pick them up and draw them against the ghost. They shivered, biting their lip, but with Napstablook, and then all the others soothing them…they broke down, and cried.

"There, there…" Napstablook soothed gently. "Everything will be all right, just wait and see…" Napstablook kept their magic firmly around the child, keeping them secure and safe, as they began to hum softly.

They stayed like that for some time, until the child's crying subsided, and Napstablook saw that they had finally fell asleep. The ghost smiled, and kept them close as they phased the child into their cousin's home, tucking them into bed. Once done, the ghost leaned close, briefly resting their head against the child's.

* * *

"Kid…Kid?" Frisk groaned, opening their red eyes to see Sans leaning over them. He smiled softly. "There you are, buddy," he murmured as he helped them up, and then drew them close. He sighed, stroking their back. "What are we gonna do with you?" he mumbled. "Stubborn little kiddo."

Frisk didn't say anything, and simply buried their face into his hoodie, too exhausted to give their usual reply to such comments. "It's okay, Frisk," Sans murmured. "This is you—we're just along for a ride. If things are getting out of hand, you're allowed to let us know, and we can dial everything back."

The child shook their head against him, fisting the back of his hoodie tightly. Sans sighed in slightly amused exasperation. "That part of you is never gonna change is it? If we don't watch you carefully, you're going to run into the ground."

An orange gloved hand reached out, resting on Frisk's shoulder. "Human," Papyrus murmured as they turned slightly so that they could see him. "Sans is right," he said, as the others began to appear to show their support. "You don't have to give everything into this. The others—they have this under control for now."

Frisk stubbornly insisted that they were the Ambassador—it was their job.

Asgore stepped forward. "Frisk," he rumbled before he knelt down, resting a hand on their head. "When I asked you to be the Ambassador, it was because you understood the monster kingdom, and perhaps, you could show what we were to the humans. It was not of my intention for you to be at the head of this and be driven into the ground by all the responsibilities that we ourselves were supposed to bear."

Toriel nodded as she knelt down as well. "Frisk, you don't have to carry the entire kingdom on your shoulders. That's not what we wanted for you."

"S—statistically," Alphys managed. "The kingdom will be fine, even if you stepped down, Frisk."

Undyne crouched down, ruffling their hair, leaving it in disarray. "Alphys is right, and…you won't hear me say this often, so you better be listening." Frisk turned their attention to the fish monster. "Punk, you're too much of a stubborn softie for your own good, but you are allowed to be a little selfish once in a while."

Frisk bit their lip, looking at what they considered to be their family, all of them trying to have it so that they no longer had to take on these roles. They didn't have to be the Ambassador that went down to the city nearly every day. They didn't have to go to meetings without end, or try to form alliances and treaties.

The group wanted Frisk to be a child, but… Frisk looked up, that stubborn light still staying in their eyes. They said they'd be a little selfish, but only once things were fixed. They'd fix everything, somehow.

Sans sighed, and then Frisk yelped as they were raised by his magic, and dangled upside down. He folded his arms, shaking his head. "Honestly, Buddy, what are we supposed to do with that stubbornness of yours?"

"I know we call you determined," Papyrus murmured. "But you certainly take it the extra mile—not that anyone is complaining about that."

"The thing is, squirt," Sans murmured, his pupils vanishing with a mischievous smile. "Like it or not…you're not leaving here…"

 _ **"Until I know for a fact that you're happy."** _

Frisk tilted their head in confusion, not understanding why he had suddenly turned so serious, while Sans's smirk seemed to broaden, and he snapped his fingers. Frisk squeaked as Undyne snatched them with a laugh. "All right, punk, you're not going anywhere!" Frisk suddenly began laughing as their sides were tickled by the fish monster.

They cried out their protests, as Sans leaned back against a nonexistent wall. "That's one way to get our bonding time in…" he murmured with a chuckle.

* * *

The next morning, Napstablook sat down at their computer, quietly working on music in order to unwind. Come early morning, they got a phone call. "Blooky, darling?" Mettaton asked.

"Oh, good morning, what's going on?"

"You wouldn't have happened to see Frisk, have you?"

"Actually, yes," Napstablook replied. "They came here during the night—they're actually sleeping in your house. Oh no, I'm sorry, I should have asked…"

"Oh, good, they're with you…" Mettaton's voice became distant for a moment. "They're at my home, Gerson. No need to worry." Then, Mettaton spoke to the ghost. "They should be safe there. Can you leave them a note and then come to the lab, please?"

"Sure, just give me a few minutes…"

Thankfully for Napstablook, getting anywhere they wished didn't take too long when they could take a literal straight path to their target. When they got there, they were surprised to see that Grillby and Dogamy were there as well.

"There you are," Mettaton murmured with a light smile, though it swiftly faded. "It seems you and the others found trouble last night…"

"Yeah…" Napstablook mumbled as they and the other two explained what happened to Mettaton and the elemental.

Mettaton sighed. "We should have known that would happen…" He looked up. "I know you three can handle yourselves but…"

"It doesn't seem right to not accompany you after hearing that," Grillby murmured. "If we go as a bigger group, our safety would be more secured."

Gerson nodded. "That might be for the best. The only reason we made it was because that kid called the police and got help over. I could handle a human one on one, but…that was during the war. I'm not what I used to be…"

Grillby's flames dimmed. "But why now?" he asked quietly. "The humans didn't make a violent move until this point…"

"True," Mettaton agreed. "But there was always negative feedback from a good portion of the city if what I heard was correct."

Dogamy nodded. "Despite that most of the kingdom is staying put, the city already has a lot of 'no monster' signs around."

Grillby's flames crackled in irritation, snapping several times as he folded his arms. "Glad to see they stick to the stories…"

"Speaking of stories, they wrote down the war a bit differently than what I remember," Gerson replied. "They said we actually managed to kill some humans."

"What?" Mettaton questioned in confusion. "Impossible. If we had killed even just one of them, we would have turned the war in our favor, and kept it there."

"Exactly," Gerson replied. "Humans were backstabbing one another and pinned the blame on us."

"Even all the way back then…?" Grillby murmured.

Gerson shrugged. "Can't say I can remember the details…but I can say it looks like we'll have to introduce you and the calculator soon."

"If you're sure, Old Fossil," the robot replied.

"The two of you and the name calling," Dogamy grumbled, rolling his eyes, while Grillby stood.

"Very well, I'll keep it in mind," the elemental assured. "Now, Napstablook…if I may borrow your time briefly…" He went to leave the lab, while the ghost trailed after him in slight confusion.

"Um…what…what is it?"

"Just come with me, please…"

The ghost followed Grillby to the river, and soon enough, they entered Snowdin, where he led the ghost into his currently closed tavern. "Um…" the ghost mumbled. "Why did you need me…?"

"Because I wanted to talk to my little guest, and I need your help to do that."

"Guest…?"

"You can come out, Chara," the elemental called. There was a pause, and then, the little human ghost came from the jukebox, hovering quietly over it.

"You…took them in?" Napstablook asked, and then smiled. "That's so sweet—oh, I'm sorry, it's nice. It's really nice." Then the ghost floated over to one of the stools. "So…what did we want to talk about?"

Grillby strode over to the child. "Chara…perhaps these are improper questions to ask you, but…" Chara simply nodded and allowed him to continue. "I understand that humans feared our ability to absorb their souls, but if we were unable to pose a threat, why did they wage war on us? Do you know?"

Chara was quiet, and then spoke. "From my time above…" they murmured. "Humans persecute. They'll find something to discriminate against. They fear what they don't understand, or what has better potential than them." A smirk showed up on the ghost. "Yes, we locked you up because we didn't understand. Because we were scared."

The human's spirit flew close. "There's only one reason you're asking me this. There was an attack, wasn't there?" They sighed. "Humans haven't really changed, have they? You did nothing to provoke them, and they…" They closed their fists, trembling as they gave a quaky laugh. "Just like what they did to us…"

Chara looked up with a tilt of their head. "I think, I was still right, back then…I don't understand why he pulled back. Cause look here. Humans attack monsters, and what for?" Chara shook their head. "You want a good reason? …don't ask me. Humans are humans, are humans. That little Frisk you have deserves better than the title of their kind."

"And what of you?" Grillby asked. "The one who sided with monsters?"

Chara kept their smirk, but Grillby felt it was just for show, just as the eerie words that followed it. "What makes you assume I was a merciful angel? I'm no better, and it's best that you monsters remember that about humans. You turn your back, and we'll take you down. That's just how humans work."

"I don't think you heard my question," Grillby replied, his flames crackling as he removed his glasses, and brought himself to their eye level. "What title do you deserve?" he questioned as his flames gave a little snap.


	59. Truth be Told

The human ghost turned away, folding their arms. They were silent for a long time. "Not any good one," they replied.

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm not like your sweet little 'innocent', Frisk," they replied as they whipped around. "I'm not anything like that merciful human. If I had my way, humans wouldn't be a problem right now."

Grillby's flames nearly went still as he listened, while Napstablook fidgeted slightly from translating. "When that happened," he murmured, remaining unspecific. "You planned to take down at least six of them, didn't you?"

"The monsters deserved to be free!" Chara snapped, their energy blazing. "So what if six humans had to lose their lives in the process!?" They gave a gasp as magic drew them to the elemental.

"Chara," he stated firmly with that look that made them squirm. "A life is not meant to be cut short. Not all humans are bad…just like not all monsters are good. Perhaps the reason why he…did as he did was because he knew there would be consequences to taking just any six."

"The kingdom didn't do any better," they managed, their energy sparking as they tried to hide their fear.

"Perhaps not," the elemental agreed. "For one reason or another, we found ourselves with six human souls that had fallen down here. However, just because one has done it, does not justify doing it yourself."

Grillby sighed, trying to think of the point he wanted to get at, to somehow get the right words for this troubled child. They had shown hostility to their own kind, but it worried him. What made them feel that way exactly? The obvious idea would be that the humans that killed them spurred this on, but from the way Chara spoke, it seemed the feeling had been there prior.

No, it seemed to have been around before Chara fell to the Underground. Perhaps it was that which lured them here in the first place. The good news was that this Chara had yet to actually get any blood on their hands. Asriel had stopped them, before they could even hurt a single human. And so…while Grillby couldn't find the words to form his point, he, instead, extended his hand.

"What happened then was a long time ago," he said gently. "And while I cannot judge the incident as I wasn't there…I think it was for the best that you weren't able to take anyone. Times have changed, Chara. Perhaps the humans have as well and regardless if they have or haven't…"

"You have the chance to change in this moment. Perhaps we can find a worthy title for you in the end."

Chara was quiet, but were unable to leave without giving a reply as the elemental held them firm with his magic. Grillby had a point; they were going to be here indefinitely, so they might as well try to accomplish something. A better title, hm? Did the monster just not understand what they tried to do?

No, he understood perfectly, and yet…perhaps he was more foolish than that human. However, they doubted that, as they remembered some of his behavior in the Abyss. They squirmed again, and then sighed. Well, anything was better than the title they could have received. An Angel of Death…perhaps there was something more to them still…and so they reached out with a little nod.

* * *

Down in the Capital Building, Frisk fidgeted in their seat up in William's office as he looked over some papers. "Well, Grillby and Mettaton are certainly interesting," he said. "I'm surprised I haven't seen them sooner…"

Frisk shrugged. "They've had other things to worry about…but now…"

William nodded, seeing why two more monsters were starting to come down on a regular basis. "Well, not the best thing that could have happened," he admitted. "Though it surprised me that it happened after we went so long without incident…"

Frisk bit their lip. "…are…are we in trouble?"

William looked up, raising a brow at the nervous fusion. "No," he stated. "You have a human witness that claims that the group was attacked first, and furthermore, was fighting only in self-defense until the other humans were knocked out. This man has no record with the police, so we are inclined to believe him."

"Meaning if we didn't have Kyle around, we wouldn't be in a good situation."

"Quite so," William agreed. "Luckily, Kyle's on your side. It would have been quite a problem if he had been in on it to tell another tale. I hate to say it, but the people are going to be more inclined to hear a human's side of the story, and believe it, than they would for a monster."

"…that's not a surprise," the fusion murmured as their ear fins drooped. They sighed, slouching forward in their chair.

"Don't be so down," William replied. "It hasn't even been a year yet, and it stands to reason that humans are trusting their kind more than monsters."

"So how come you're so trusting?" Frisk suddenly asked on Undyne's influence. "You're always being nice and helping, even though it's likely hurting you to do so."

William breathed out, folding his hands. "Because I gave you the option to escape, didn't I? You who were a former human, and then an 'accident' transformed you. I had to put in the idea that you were forced to become this by the monsters. I had to assume it was a possibility."

"And before that?"

"I prefer peace over war," William stated simply. "I'm not as powerful as I once was. I cannot afford to make mistakes. So, I allow this to happen, to see the end result, because, from the way you act. You don't want to lose anyone. If something did go wrong, you would…"

Frisk's eyes narrowed briefly. "I rather not."

"Curiously," William murmured. "When was the last time you saved?"

"None of your concern."

William chuckled. "A little defensive today, hm? Stands to reason after what happened last night." He sighed, and came over, kneeling before the child, habitually cupping their chin to make sure he had their attention. "It's all right. Michael has made sure they're getting the adequate punishment and that no one wrote them off for 'just attacking monsters'. I assure you, we're taking care of this."

He drew his hand back, and stood. "Humans are a stubborn race—as I'm sure you know, Frisk. We get stuck in our ways, and change does not come easily. That applies to most of the city, and it applies to me as well. However, I am open to change, and if we can find a way to live with humans and monsters, then I'm all for it.

"Even if it means I have to be a bit harder on them. Perhaps I don't gain anything from helping you, child, but, what of you? I've heard you're the type to help without rewards. Why is it assumed I'm any different?"

William chuckled as the child fidgeted. "Some of the ones in your head are just as suspicious of me, as the humans are of you. Goes both ways, hm?"

"But you didn't answer…" Frisk mumbled. "Isn't this hurting you?"

"Yes," William replied bluntly, causing the child to flinch. "And yet, no. Remember, I'm the last red magic user in the city. They're kinda stuck with me, like it or not." He chuckled, smiling a little. "This is why the government is so cautious with us. There's only one now, if I turn against the people…they'll be in quite some trouble, won't they?"

"But you won't?"

"Why would I want to?" William responded. "Look at it this way. Even if I didn't care for the people…I basically have a palace, people to listen to whatever I want. I'm at the top of the pile, and currently, no one can knock me off it. Truth be told, if I wanted to, I could care less about everything around me."

Frisk tilted their head, listening to him, confused by what he was talking about. "Put it simply, Frisk. I do care about how things play out. This is my city, my home, my people…and I want what's best for them. Perhaps an alliance with monsters would be best for them, though it's like giving a child medicine at times."

At the mention of medicine, Frisk's thoughts went to Kyle, the green magic user. "Um…speaking of that…green magic users are typically doctors?"

William nodded. "They have strong healing magic, so that's typically what they become. Just like how blue magic deals with construction, usually, or with handling dangerous chemicals."

"So every magic type has a certain branch of jobs they're meant for?" William gave a nod. "Then…your eyes symbolize your magic colors…"

"That's right," William said as he started to write something down.

"…then, what's gray magic?"

William froze, the pen slipping out of his hand, clattering onto the desk as he stared blankly, and then slowly looked up to the fusion. "Gray magic? What makes you think there's that type?"

"Because I saw it," they stated. "A human with gray eyes."

The man abruptly stood. "Where…?"

"They're probably long gone," Frisk stammered. "It was just before the attack…"

William groaned. "I'll have to put out a search."

"Wh—why!?" Frisk demanded in alarm and confusion.

The man opened a drawer on his desk, and grabbed out another sheet of paper, hastily writing. "Gray-eyed humans are humans without magic. To be more specific, they were drained of it. That is a capital punishment just short of execution, meaning the human you saw is likely a fugitive, because we have no records of a released gray-eyed."

"So…they were bad?" Frisk asked nervously.

"Considering that they'd be dead if they were any worse…yes, they were very bad," William stated firmly.

Frisk bit their lip, but Alphys's curious mind came forth.

"S—so you can drain human's magic?"

"Yes," William replied. "It's something we don't do often because there's no way to return the magic once drained. We can't absorb magic back once we run out. So it's only used when we're absolutely sure of the crimes."

The fusion thought back to the moment under the bridge. Honestly, the man seemed harmless to them, and had been someone who was down on his luck, but Sans's image came forth. _'Looks ain't everything, Kid. Heh, just look at you and me, after all. Who would think either of us could put up a fight?'_

Still, the child didn't feel that way…that poor gray eyed human was a bad person? William had no reason to lie, as Frisk could easily ask others for the truth of what seemed like a well-known fact. There was just a feeling the child couldn't shake off…though it could have just been their merciful ways coming into play.

The rest of the day spent in the city was reluctantly describing the man in great detail to William, and a police officer who quietly sketched the man all the while, until they had a nearly perfect replica.

* * *

Time trickled by, one month, two…nearly a third. One evening, they sat at the statue in Waterfall, listening to the music, though their gaze was on Gerson and Rex. Over the past three months, Rex trained constantly with the old turtle, trying to learn ways to fight. The reptile may not have arms, but they could hold a dagger in their mouth, or with their foot.

Gerson surprisingly countered some of the issues though. If Rex couldn't fight with a weapon half the time, then they had to find another way to do so. Gerson pointed out that Rex had the talons on their feet, and their spikes, both dangerous if Rex knew how to utilize them.

Frisk had watched nearly every training session, and the first month was rough, with the reptile constantly being taken down to the ground—the old turtle didn't even use a weapon the majority of the time. Gerson simply allowed Rex to come and attack him—and then he'd block the child, shoving them away, and reviewing their attack.

He'd state what was good, what was bad, what needed improving on…and Rex worked at it each and every time, until the second month, where Gerson did decide to wield a weapon. It was just a staff though, and the turtle still used it for mainly blocking the reptile's attacks. Though once in a while, he would lash out with it.

The child learned from their mistakes, never staying down for long. Frisk noted that the reptile was stubbornly determined to prove themselves, never stopping for an instant during training. During the third month, Gerson turned it up a notch again, and this time, he used his old war hammer.

Rex and Gerson stood a bit away from each other, the child raking the ground with their foot as they clenched their blade in their jaw. One would think it looked silly, the way they carried the weapon, but Frisk knew for a fact, that they were starting to become rather skilled with their blade. If they wanted to, they could fight.

In an instant, the child plowed forward, with Gerson moving readily. The turtle swung his hammer, but the child hopped back and dove to the side opposite of where the swing was going. Rex had learned to take advantage of the weight of the weapon, but Gerson was still quite agile, as he swung the hammer again.

Rex gasped, and ducked, feeling it narrowly missing their spikes. However, with the near miss, they were right there. They lunged, but the turtle side stepped out of the way, causing them to land behind him. Instantly, they whirled and sprung. The hammer came again, and now, as they were above it, they brought their foot down against it.

Time almost seemed to slow down as Gerson's eyes widened in slight surprise. The child jumped again and then plowed into Gerson's shoulder, setting him off balance. As Rex hit the ground, they swiped at Gerson's feet with their tail, before darting behind him and launching themself at his shell.

Frisk winced as the turtle and the child both fell, but the child then stood proudly, looking to Frisk. "Vif—er—ee!" they called around the weapon. Frist stared blankly, until they paused, spat the weapon out, and then jumped. "Victory!"

Gerson chuckled. "All right, squirt, off my shell."

"Sorry!" they managed hastily, slipping off him as the turtle slowly sat up with a grunt.

"You're getting the hang of it," Gerson assured. "Just three months training…" To be fair, Gerson hadn't been trying his hardest on the child right then. Had he done so, poor Rex would have been done the moment they came into the weapon's range.

Still, the child was making good progress. "Now," the turtle managed. "I think that's enough for today. I'm a little old for this…but heh, keep it up and you'll be able to use it really well if you're caught in a situation." Rex still had a long way to go before Gerson would be satisfied. "Now go take a break, alright?"

The child laughed and then hurried over to Frisk, panting in exhaustion as they sat down next to the fusion. "Did…did you see that…? Heh…I won!"

Frisk smiled. "Way to go, you totally knocked the old Gramps down!"

"Urchin!" Gerson called while Frisk covered their face in embarrassment at the fish monster's sudden take over.

Rex dipped their head with a shy laugh, while Frisk slowly uncovered their face, blinking dual-colored eyes, before softly replying. "…it was really cool, Rex…" They smiled, but then tilted their head up as the water fell down. "Are you sure you want to do this, Rex? I'm a magnet for trouble—it might be best to not come with me at all."

The reptile looked to the former human in confusion. "Huh…? Yo, what do you mean? That's all the more reason to come." Their talons dug into the soil. "People want to hurt you, and…I'm not going to let that happen," they stated firmly. "You're my friend, Frisk. And I won't allow a friend to get hurt."

"But shouldn't that go both ways?" Frisk pointed out.

The reptile laughed sheepishly. "Maybe, but, I promise…this is okay. I want to learn, I want to be able to keep people I care about safe…so don't worry. I'm happy with this."

The fusion couldn't deny that the smile seemed genuine, and the souls within murmured that Rex would be fine. They were just like Undyne when she was little, and with Gerson teaching the reptile, they wouldn't need to worry. Gerson would make certain to make them a powerful force that could fight and defend.


	60. And so they Breathed

Dogamy growled to himself. "I hate walking here on sunny days," he muttered as he went into the shade of a building to avoid the heat.

"Truly?" Grillby asked in light humor as he stayed in the sun, not even slightly bothered.

The canine glared at him. "Just so you know; I despise you right now."

Frisk giggled from their perch on Gerson's shoulders, whereas Mettaton carried Rex, so that the children didn't have to walk on the burning cement. "Well, it's an improvement for Grillby at least," Mettaton responded.

"True enough," Gerson added. "It beats having water surrounding us for as far as the eye can see."

"I rather not remember that," Grillby murmured.

"There's some good news to all this," Michael called from slightly ahead where he walked with William and Clarabelle.

"And what would that be?" the woman questioned.

"We're here!" he exclaimed, opening the door to the House Mouse. Dogamy and Gerson darted in as quickly as they could, while Grillby jerked back at a blast of Air Conditioning as he shielded his form. When it subsided, he warily followed them in along with Mettaton and Napstablook.

Grillby glanced around, noting the layout of the place, and the different reactions he was given when humans looked up at him. He was wary as some humans took their harsh stares to Jeremiah, who just smiled pleasantly. "Oh? That sign? Well, I ordered it, but it looked like it got lost in the mail." He heaved a heavy sigh. "Such a shame."

Michael snorted as he approached. "Still going at it?"

"But of course," Jeremiah assured. "Anyways, it's good to see the monsters again; they hadn't shown up since that incident."

The younger man nodded. "They didn't want to stray too far for a bit."

"Understandable, and there's some new monsters."

Michael grinned and beckoned Grillby and Mettaton over, introducing them both. The man and robot shook hands, but then Jeremiah halted as he looked at Grillby. "Uh…"

A hand suddenly took Grillby's, and the elemental and Jeremiah looked down in surprise to see that Frisk had clambered onto a stool, one of their lower arms grabbing the elemental's. They smiled. "It doesn't burn," they assured.

Hesitantly, Jeremiah reached out to the elemental's extended hand, and was caught by surprise that the flames didn't hurt him. There was an obvious warmth from the contact, but other than that, it was like any human.

As Grillby drew his hand back, he looked around. "This is a nice place," he murmured.

"Thanks," Jeremiah replied. "It's a bit old fashioned compared to some other places, but…"

Grillby tilted his head. "This is old fashioned?" There was a sound of amusement. "I hate to find out how old my place would be considered."

"Your place?"

"Ah, I run a tavern back in our kingdom."

"Really?" Before the rest of the group knew it, the two were carrying on a lengthly conversation, comparing their places, setups, and even down to the cooking techniques they used.

Gerson looked over and chuckled. "Somehow, I don't think we'll be leaving any time soon…"

Dogamy shook his head. "So long as we get something to drink, I don't care."

"You know," Clarabelle murmured as she glanced to Mettaton. "I never had the chance to ask, but I've been curious. How was your body built?"

"A good friend of mine designed this," Mettaton explained. "She's the one that understands how this works for the most part." Though the fact that he was a ghost in a shell was not publically advertised to the humans.

"You are very advanced compared to our human technology, I'm surprised."

"Really?" Mettaton asked in confusion. "Alphys used to watch a lot of human shows that we salvaged that had a lot of highly advanced features."

"In shows, yes," Clarabelle replied. "Not in reality though. Nothing at your level of detail and dexterity."

Mettaton smiled. "Well, darling, I had a very good mind on my side." Frisk covered their face as Alphys became flustered.

"I believe you," Clarabelle assured.

William glanced over to Clarabelle briefly, and then looked to Dogamy and Gerson. "Though I am happy to see a few more monsters poking their heads around outside of this little group."

Gerson nodded. "It's just a handful here and there. They're curious, but they have no interest in getting into fights…"

"Or looking at 'no monster' signs'," Dogamy added.

"Again, I'm sorry about that," William replied. "There's just nothing I can do about it."

The old turtle sighed. "We'll manage. Honestly, I'm just happy to be outside again."

William chuckled. "Yet you complain about the sunny days."

"It's not the sun we're complaining about," Dogamy assured. "It's just the hot cement on bare feet. Honestly, I feel sorry for your canine companions."

Michael glanced back to Jeremiah. "Hey, as good as it is that you two are talking a lot—we're starving over here." He put a dramatic tone to his voice. "Feed us."

"Get your rear over here and help me then," Jeremiah said as he realized he had been distracted. With that, he hobbled away from the bar, knowing what most wanted to eat.

Grillby stood in concern. "Perhaps I could be of assistance?"

Jeremiah paused, glancing back over. "Well, you're technically a customer."

"Yes, but I believe I've distracted you and had you fall behind."

Michael raised his hand. "Yes, please!"

"Michael!" Jeremiah exclaimed. "You can be such a child!"

"But three workers are better than two."

"You are just lazy!"

"No I'm not…"

William sighed as they continued to bicker. "Clarabelle, remind me how the police force tolerated those two together…?"

"What made you think they ever did?"

Gerson snorted, while others tried to bite back their laughter.

* * *

A few weeks later, the monsters, along with Michael, walked through the streets at night. Per usual, Clarabelle and William did not accompany them when Michael was escorting them to the outer ring of the city. Frisk looked up at him, and quietly approached. "Mr.?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"Do you not like cars?" They had noticed that whenever he drove, he seemed nervous, or would fidget about.

"What?" He laughed. "No, cars themselves are not an issue."

"Then what is?"

Michael paused, hesitating over it. "Well, back when I was on the force with Jeremiah, there was an incident. We ended up confined in a very small space, in the dark, with god knows what trying to get in there and kill us. That was six hours of hel—horror. And so the two of us actually…don't like tight spaces."

Frisk looked up. "…is that why you never enter our kingdom?"

He sheepishly tapped his fingers. "Yeah…" he quietly admitted.

The child reached up as much as their wrapped up arms would allow, due to the length of the scarf tails. "You should come in sometime. The chambers are actually really big. There's a whole kingdom in there after all—and a lot of natural light." They kicked at a loose pebble gently.

"For a place to be trapped in…it could have been worse," Frisk murmured, saying words that weren't completely their own. "It was decently sized…and there are a lot of beautiful things about it. If it could have been bigger…if we could have had our sunlight…the option to leave if we so chose…it would have been fine."

Frisk wondered if they would have been satisfied if they had been trapped in a large valley instead. The child then tilted their head up, looking at the starry sky, with the full moon shining down. "Nighttime is pretty here, too…"

They fell quiet as they continued walking. The monsters didn't complain too much with walking now, as the cement was cool to step on, something that they were used to with Snowdin and Waterfall.

For most of the walk, there was only some quiet talking now and again. They eventually came up to a small bridge that went over a man-made water channel. As they started to cross, ear fins twitched, and Dogamy caught an unwanted scent, while Napstablook suddenly whipped around.

"Look out!" the canine howled.

Michael jumped in alarm—but the danger was already here. Frisk cried out, diving away from a human. Again!? This was different though. These humans fought differently. These weren't stray attempts—these humans had a clue about what they were doing. Not only that, but Frisk could tell there were more than there were in the first attack.

They panicked, unable to use their precious red magic now that they were startled, which caused the other monsters within to react to them. Their left eye flared, and they shoved a hand out, sending the nearest human flying back, with Rex then sliding in front of them, lowering themselves into an attack position.

Dogamy snarled, plowing into a human who had tried to attack the old turtle who was already locked in combat. They went tumbling, with Dogamy giving another snarl which erupted into a vicious bark. Gerson swung his hammer in a wide circle to get the approaching enemies away from him, while Mettaton effortlessly picked one up, tossing them away.

One human lunged to join the fray, only to get yanked away, and out of sight…and scream in terror a moment later. Grillby drew back his sleeves, his flames crackling and snapping, and as one human came at him, he shot a fist forward, plowing into their stomach, and as they doubled over, he sent a harsh kick at them.

Michael gave a shout as he dodged a human, his eyes widening. He knew the attacks were a possibility—but these ones did it with an actual officer right there! His orange eyes narrowed. Well, not just any officer. He grabbed an attacking human's arm, twisting it behind them. "Huh, looks like you can't move." Orange magic shot out, and the human gave a cry as they fell to the ground.

They were making good progress, until Frisk felt an unseen force grab hold. Blue magic! And they were yanked off the bridge. They fell with a cry, splashing into water that was only a few inches deep. They jerked up on hands and knees, coughing on the water, shuddering from the impact that had taken some of their health.

Frisk started to stand up, but froze as their ear fins twitched. Something was coming, as they eyed the channel, they felt Alphys observing that there were marks to signal that the water was usually higher than a few inches, in fact—Frisk cried out, realizing that upstream, water was rushing down the channel.

Whether it was bad timing, or sabotage, Frisk didn't know. They screamed as they rushed for the wall, as there was no available shortcut in the moment. They had to—and the water slammed into them, whisking them downstream.

The monsters halted in alarm, realizing what had happened. "FRISK!"

With the job done, the humans took that moment of distraction to flee. Except, something stirred angrily, and magic grabbed them, dragging them into the shadows. Something out of a nightmare seemed to form, sending fear through them.

Dogamy leapt off the bridge, looking at the situation, stunned, while, oddly, Grillby took action. "Mettaton!" he called. "Fly ahead, try to locate them! Gerson, if the water calms down, follow them that way. Dogamy, Michael, come with me. I need your knowledge of the area and your sense of smell!"

"On it!" the robot called, activing his propulsion systems, swiftly taking to the air, though in all honesty, he could only go a few feet up, but it was better than nothing. Dogamy and the human went after the elemental, who was already racing along the path beside the channel, trying to catch up.

"Wait!" Michael called out. "What about the—"

"I'm fairly certain they're being taken care of!" Grillby called back.

Back at the bridge, Gerson panted heavily. "Dammit…" he muttered. "I can't go chasing after them…"

"Gerson?" He looked up to see Rex nervously glancing to him, and to the raging waters below. "Uh…" They dipped their head, ashamed. The turtle sighed, and reached forward, resting a hand on their head.

"Take it easy," the turtle soothed. "There was nothing you could have done to prevent that attack. And don't worry…Neck Warmer is more resilient than you know. Even death ain't gonna kill them…now…let's see if we can't catch up with the group." The reptile found it strange that Gerson didn't seem as worried as he should be.

"Napstablook!" the turtle called without even looking back. "Come along, I think that's good enough." A few moments later, the ghost appeared before them.

"Oh, I'm sorry to keep you waiting…oh no, that was really bad, wasn't it?"

Gerson shook his head. "You were hardly wasting time. Everything's gonna be all right."

* * *

Far down stream, Frisk got their head about the rushing water briefly. They took in a greedy gulp of air before they were dragged back under again, tumbling head over heels beneath the surface.

 _'We can't stay like this!'_ Alphys exclaimed. _'Frisk needs to breathe!'_

Undyne cried out in anger. _'No good—this is too much for this tiny body!'_

 _'Sans!'_ Toriel cried out. _'Your magic—levitation, teleportation—anything!'_

 _'She's right, Sans! Your magic would be best here!'_ Papyrus exclaimed.

There was a grunt. _'No can do, Pap. I can't focus on anything when we're tumbling like this! If there's a shortcut in the path of this water—maybe, but otherwise…'_

 _'We'll have to think of something else,'_ Asgore murmured.

Muffet made frantic worried sounds. _'But if we can't even focus enough to use our magic—'_

Frisk's eyes snapped open, the left eye blazing as Sans took control. _'I saw a short cut! Everyone hang on!'_

They went through a short cut, but with the confusion, they didn't drop anywhere familiar. Instead, for a brief moment, the child was in air, before they splashed down into calm water. However, their body was worn out from what they had gone through.

Frisk felt themselves sinking…they were falling…again… The surface was impossible to see in the dark. Move…move…

 _'Move!'_ they all cried out…but Frisk couldn't.

Breathe…the surface…they couldn't drown. They'd go back to the reset if they drown!

They couldn't move, they could barely twitch…and finally, their body screamed for oxygen, and so they breathed in.

But they didn't drown. Frisk still jerked hands to their throat, choking out water that had gotten into their mouth, but as they did, they froze, their hands finding scratches on their neck. They felt at them, confused as to when they had gotten there. When did they get hurt—wait, those weren't wounds, they were…

 _'Gills…'_ Undyne murmured, and then laughed. _'The punk got my gills!'_ Relief flooded through the group. They couldn't drown…but they still needed to get back out…

Frisk drifted in the water, for what felt like forever, feeling the presence of aquatic creatures swimming around, with Alphys praying there wasn't anything there that wanted to eat them. The time continued to tick by, until Frisk turned, a light catching their eye. They stared, seeing a purple strand of light coming through the water.

Numbly, they reached for it, grabbing it in all four of their hands. It pulled taut, and with a gasp, they were tugged along by whatever was on the other end. They made the mistake of clenching their hands shut, and were taken for the full ride. Suddenly, they were out of the water, and in the air.

They fell onto a hard surface under the night sky, coughing as they lay on their side. Then, they heard the sound of a large pair of boots as someone approached them. "Well you're no fish," someone commented.

Frisk looked up tiredly, unable to move, as a pair of glowing purple eyes looked down at them.


	61. Dang Fangled Experiments

Frisk breathed heavily, hardly able to move as the figure approached, and then knelt down. "Just what in blazes are you?" an older male's voice muttered. The child shivered, drenched, and freezing in the cold that night brought. They studied the man—human of course, as he brought a lantern over, shielding the light in an attempt to not blind them.

The first word that popped into Frisk's mind was the sea, when they looked at him. From the rain coat with a hood, to the thick boots, to his much older appearance…everything about him screamed a fisherman out on the ocean. He reached out with a deeply tanned hand, resting it on their forehead.

"This won't do," he muttered, before picking up the little one as they gave a squeak of alarm. They fussed weakly, but they were too drained to struggle any further. The man moved, holding them gently, though Frisk twitched slightly as his graying beard brushed against their forehead.

He opened a door, with Frisk vaguely noticing that they were on a small boat. Then he stepped back out, and set them on a little bench, before draping a large blanket over them. The old man knelt down, adjusting it for them. "Just hang tight, little critter. I'll get you somewhere warm."

Frisk shivered as they huddled up in the blanket, the souls within studying him. Despite the oddity this man was seeing, he was taken things in stride…though one of the souls reasoned he might know who or what they were. That made Frisk nervous, as they didn't know anything about him, or what he would want to do if he knew he had the Ambassador to monsters trapped on his ship.

The man got up, and out of their sight, allowing the child to drift into their thoughts to focus more on the others. _Can we trust him…?_ Alphys murmured anxiously.

 _'To be frank with you—'_

 _'Sans!'_ Frisk flinched.

 _'Sorry, slip of the tongue…'_

 _'You don't even have a tongue!'_

 _'Boys,'_ came Toriel's stern voice.

 _'Sorry,'_ the small skeleton replied. _'What I want to say is that we don't have a choice. That did a number on us. So unless we recuperate and find another shortcut…we'll have to hope this human doesn't want to harm us…'_

 _'I can't say I like this predicament,'_ Muffet muttered softly.

 _'Nor can I,'_ Asgore murmured. _'However, I think it's fair to give the human a chance.'_

 _'Frisk,'_ Undyne called. _'If he messes with you, claw and bite at him if you can. You'd be surprised how strong your teeth are in a pinch.'_

The child reluctantly nodded and hoped they wouldn't actually have to come to that. The child's eyes drooped, as they fought to stay awake. However, they were exhausted, and unable to do so. As their vision grew dark, they faintly heard the other soul hidden deep within them.

 _'I doubt he means ill,'_ the mysterious soul murmured. _'If he wanted to, he could have left you without the blanket, so that you remained cold and numb, unable to move properly…then again…'_ Frisk blacked out before the soul finished their private thoughts to the child.

* * *

Frisk groaned, snuggling into the warmth as they started to wake. A bed…they didn't take note of that as they tried to go back to sleep. "Well, what do you think, Lalida?" the old man's voice came.

"They should be fine, Henry," came a woman's voice. "They developed a fever, but, nothing out of my control."

"That's new."

"Henry!" Lalida chided.

"Then explain last night."

"Last night did not go as I planned."

Henry huffed. "I doubt me dealing with one of your insane experiments was part of your plan."

"It wasn't my fault that it…broke out of its confinements…"

Frisk felt the others stirring as the conversation roused them, but they refused to signal they were awake as everyone tuned into the conversation.

"Honestly, Lalida, warn me the next time you make some horrible mess of Mother Nature's work."

"…I didn't expect it to yearn for human blood."

"All your dang fangled experiments end up wanting human blood."

 _'Wh—what are they talking about?'_ Muffet asked nervously.

Alphys spoke up next. _'I'm—I'm not sure, but it sounds like one of them…might be a…uh…scientist?'_

 _'A mad one with the way this conversation is going…'_ Undyne muttered.

 _'Undyne!'_ Papyrus chided. _'Let's not assume things!'_

Before anything else could be said, the conversation caught their attention. "But I'm worried, Henry…what were they doing out in the lake?"

"Heck if I know," the man replied. "I just fished the critter out."

"The critter?" she questioned.

"Yes, I honestly thought they were escapee of yours for a moment."

Lalida snorted. "I would have been flattered if an escapee looked like that, but honestly, Henry, you haven't been paying attention to what's going on in the city."

"Why should I? It's on the far side of the bay," he replied. "I don't go there. We sell our fish on this side now, so I never set foot in the city itself."

"Then it's a good thing I do shopping. Surely you heard about the monsters?"

"…hm?"

"Oh, you are insufferable!" the woman quietly exclaimed. "You haven't been paying attention at all! There are monsters from the legend. They do live in the mountain. And you just fished out the Ambassador."

"…the what now?"

"You live too simple a life," the woman muttered. "You fished out an important figure with government related things."

"That shrimp?"

"Yes, that shrimp. They're an ambassador of sorts."

"Well, I'll be," Henry murmured.

"You're taking this well."

"After living with you?" Henry asked. "Nothing can take me by surprise." He laughed as she slapped his shoulder, with Frisk turning to look at the two, while feinting to still be asleep. The woman seemed somewhat younger than Henry, with black hair put into a messy bun, with gray streaks racing through it.

Her blue eyes sparked with life as she drew back. "Regardless of what you think," she said as she levitated a cup to her. "We need to inform the Capital come morning."

"It practically is morning."

"Five in the morning, Henry. Only you fisherman roam that early on a daily basis."

"Mornings and evenings are the best time to go fishing," he insisted. "But fine, call them at a reasonable hour. They'll probably come rushing as soon as we do." He sighed. "Then we have to deal with people."

"It can't be helped," Lalida murmured. "It's not like we can send someone sick back across the bay. Even if you took them across, it's still a lot of dangerous walking to the center."

"I hear you," he assured.

"On another note, you're lucky. It seems they have some purple magic. And it's a good thing they did, or they could have been poisoned by your magic, seeing as they grabbed it directly."

"I couldn't tell they were there until I fished them out," he protested.

"I know dear, but I don't know if the officials would have believed that."

"But it's the truth…"

"I know it is, Henry. They don't."

"Right," the old man managed with a sigh, glancing to what he thought was the slumbering child. "…you sure they're a 'monster'?"

"While I do admit they look human, they might just be another type of monster. From what I've seen, they have anthropomorphic monsters, and perhaps elemental based types. Really, they're all quite fascinating."

"Thankfully, you're somewhat humane, and aren't about to run experiments on them."

"It's dangerous, if the legends are anything to go by," Lalida murmured. "They crumble to dust upon death, Henry. They're fragile, physically, if I remember."

"Something like that…but those were old books."

"Simply, if I was even given permission, I could easily harm them, and there's no way to run tests on a dead one as there is a lack of a body when that happens."

Henry shook his head. "And do you really want to?"

"I'd love to know what makes a monster tick," Lalida admitted, but then laughed softly. "It's just not worth the price. Anyways, dear, I'm going to make coffee, want some? You've been up quite a bit last night helping me."

"Yes, I think I'd be up to that."

"Well come along then," the woman murmured. They glanced to Frisk, and then vanished out of sight. The child was silent, listening, before slowly opening their dual colored eyes, glancing around at their surroundings, trying to piece together their situation from what little they knew.

 _'Looks like we're on the other side of that bay,'_ Asgore murmured.

 _'We traveled quite far,'_ Toriel stated softly.

 _'My bad,'_ Sans replied. _'When we dove in like that, I wasn't able to focus on getting to any particular exit.'_

Frisk sat up, pausing when they noticed that they were wearing slightly loose clothing. They slipped out of bed, their feet meeting wood. The house was definitely older than those in the city—and simple as well. They tiptoed to the doorway, peeking out into a hall, noticing a kitchen right across from them.

The two humans had their backs turned, with Frisk hastily darting past the kitchen's entrance, their furred feet helping to hide their presence as they hid. Technically, one could see out of the kitchen over a counter, but Frisk was small enough that if they pressed against the counters on the side they were on, they wouldn't be easily noticed.

They snuck past, and then tiptoed into a large area that openly connected the living room and dining room, with a smaller room connected from there. Though, the last room was unlit, but it seemed like a study, or simply a place to read, with windows adorning two sides of the smaller room.

As Frisk snuck around the living room, they took note of a messy table, filled with everything that Frisk found science related, though Alphys supplied names. _'Heh, Alphys, I think we found you a friend,'_ Sans teased gently.

 _'I w—w—wouldn't know about that…'_ she protested.

 _'Hey!'_ Undyne exclaimed. _'Stop teasing her!'_ Frisk could feel Undyne's smile starting to form on their face. _'That's my job.'_

 _'UNDYNE!'_

Frisk hissed softly in pain as they grasped at their head, wincing as their head started to hurt, and they didn't have Gerson nearby to give them medicine. Their head pounded, and they shook it harshly as the others tried to settle things.

The former human sighed. It couldn't be helped. They had the right to be themselves…it would just help if it didn't cause such horrible headaches. The child moved pass the messy area with things haphazardly tossed around, and then glanced up. Attached to a large wall, were two separate tanks of moderate size.

It made sense since Henry was a fisherman, but on each tank, there was a piece of paper taped to it. The first read: 'Dinner'. The other read: 'For your dang fangled experiments!'

Frisk tilted their head in confusion, approaching the second tank, trying to peer into its oddly murky water. Just what was in there anyway—a set of fangs lunged at the glass, causing Frisk to leap back with a startled scream, crashing to the floor as they scrambled back. The creature had plowed into the glass, sending spider web cracks across it.

The fusion began to hyperventilate as the others within composed themselves, thinking swiftly, trying to see what magic they could tap into before it became a problem. Their eyes both blazed as the creature smashed into it again, water starting to spill out. Then, it smashed through a third time, and the glass shattered, water spilling out as some strange eel like fish with a lure on its head came flying toward Frisk.

Blue magic sprung around the fish and the water, and then purple magic wrapped around it like a net, and suspended it from the ceiling. However, it was not because of Frisk's abilities. "Oh shoot!"

Frisk gasped as they were yanked up by blue magic, and yanked away from the mess, and into someone's arms. Frisk jerked their head up to look at Lalida, who drew them close. "Oh dear—you're not hurt are you?" she demanded, despite already looking the child over for injuries.

"Relax, we got them before your experiment managed to do anything," Henry assured. "Sneaky little critter though. They got right past us."

Lalida shrugged helplessly. "We're just out of practice. We hadn't had the grandkids over for a while…speaking of which," she muttered.

"Stay on topic," Henry warned as he went over, grabbing the net with the thrashing creatures. "Anyways, I'm going out back with this." He shook his head. "Always blood thirsty things with you, Lalida. Let me know when you make some pink rainbow bunny that spits cotton candy."

"Very funny, Henry," she complained to him as he headed out. Then she looked down at Frisk as she headed back to the bedroom. "Oh, you poor thing. That must have been quite the fright."

Frisk's heart hammered and they couldn't help their whine as they tried to curl up, clutching their head. Lalida frowned in concern as she set the child on the bed, sitting beside them. "What's wrong? Were you hurt?"

"Headache," Frisk whimpered pitifully. The shock and alarm was racing through them eight fold from all the souls panicking over it. "Want Grandpa's medicine…"

"I'm sorry, I don't have his medicine, and I'm not sure how well our human medicine would work—"

"It'll help," Frisk managed.

"All right, all right, stay here, I'll be back…" Frisk couldn't tell how long she was actually gone, as they were too busy writhing around on the bed, but sure enough, the woman returned, and had Frisk sit up, taking the medicine with some water.

Frisk laid back down, and eventually, the pounding vanished away. They gave a sigh of relief. It wasn't as good as Gerson's, but it was better than nothing at all. "…are you feeling better now, little Ambassador?" Lalida asked a little later.

"Uh-huh…thank you," Frisk managed as they sat up again, looking up at Lalida, and then glanced around nervously. "Our scarf and hoodie…?"

"Hung out to dry," the woman assured. Frisk sighed in relief, and she smiled. "Important, hm?"

Frisk nodded. "Belong to some others I know."

"Well, they're safe. Not the slightest tear. Now…could you possibly tell me how you ended up in the bay?"

"…my group got attacked, and I was shoved into a waterway and somehow ended up there…"

Lalida dipped her head. "Then, it's a good thing my husband is old fashioned. Who knows when you would have been found had he not been out last night."

"Lalida!"

The woman jerked her head up. "Henry?" she called. "What is it?"

"Those monsters you were talking about? I think I found some!"

"What?"

As she stood, Frisk paused, hearing familiar voices. "Please, I don't mean to alarm you…" Dogamy murmured.

Frisk gasped, and slipped off the bed, running past Lalida. "Uncle Dogamy!"


	62. Reaching your Limits

The child stumbled their way through the house, their sharper hearing being what guided them. They veered around a corner, and found Dogamy on the doorstep. They squealed and plowed into him. He gave a grunt, and then scooped them up. "Frisk! Are you all right?" They nodded, and buried their face into them.

"Here, let me see them!" Gerson nudged Dogamy so that he could see the child. He put his hand to their head and yanked back. "They're burning up…"

"I'm afraid they caught something of a fever," Lalida called as she came into view, and then smiled. "I assume you're their caretakers?"

"More or less…"

Lalida rose on her tiptoes to peer over the taller monster. "There seem to be quite a few of you. How about you all come in? Please excuse the mess though, we don't usually have guests. Henry dear, could you handle the coffee?"

As her husband went off, the other monsters filed in, with Grillby carrying Rex in his hold, as the child had fallen asleep ages ago. Once the monsters all found a place to sit, Gerson took another look at the child.

Mettaton glanced over, his eyes lighting up a bit. "Their temperature is above normal," he murmured. "It does look like a fever."

"Oh no…" Napstablook moaned. "It's because of falling into the water, wasn't it?"

"That alone wouldn't make a normal monster—or human sick, I'd think," Grillby stated.

"No," Gerson agreed. "But it looks like they were physically drained, and that didn't help matters."

"They should be better in a few days," Lalida assured. "They were quite lucky though."

Gerson nodded. "How did you find them?"

"I caught them," Henry said as he came in with a tray of coffee. Most monsters happily accepted some, while there was an odd pause with Grillby. "…well…"

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Grillby replied.

"What do fire elementals like yourself even drink?" Lalida asked.

"We don't technically need to eat or drink in the same sense others do," Grillby replied. "If we can burn something and consume the flames, we can manage."

"Though," Dogamy murmured. "If you have an alcoholic beverage, he can have that because he can set it on fire…and he can't get drunk, unlike others."

"Hang on then," Henry said as he moved. "I think I've got some whisky still."

"Henry!" Lalida scolded. "Oh, honestly, I'd have better luck weaning fish off water than you with your whisky."

"Then switch to that!" Henry called. "You're already giving them a taste for blood!"

"Like I wanted that!"

"Even without asking…" Gerson muttered.

"They're definitely a couple," Dogamy concluded, as they both gave dead-pan looks.

A minute later, Henry came back, pouring a glass of the whisky. The elemental brought the glass up to his mouth, the liquid catching flames as soon as he came into contact with it. Yet, when he lowered the glass, the flames would vanish, leaving the remaining drink intact.

"And what did you mean by catching them?" Dogamy asked as he steered the conversation back to the original topic.

"I was out fishing," Henry explained as he leaned against the wall due to a lack of seating. "Something tugged on my line, and when I pulled back…I got this little critter instead of a fish. After that, I took them straight here cause they looked like they had seen better days."

"What even happened to them?" Lalida questioned the monsters.

Grillby's flames snapped and crackled. "We were attacked by other humans, and they were shoved into a water canal."

Mettaton nodded. "We were informed afterwards that another human had to of let loose the water, so it was planned."

"Oh, the poor thing…"

Frisk slipped out of Dogamy's lap, blinking slowly, trying to get their blurring vision to focus. They had felt sluggish since they regained consciousness, but now, it was different. They staggered, their vision fading in and out, before they lost their balance, the other voices within calling out, but they sounded far away.

Blue magic caught Frisk instantly as Napstablook swooped down and drew them against their incorporeal form. "Oh no…!"

Lalida moved swiftly, and then rested a hand on the child's forehead. "They need to get to bed. Here, it's down that hall—I'll go get a damp rag. They're practically burning up."

"Right!" The ghost flew swiftly, phasing through the walls, causing the humans to jump in alarm.

Henry stared. "That's um…one way to get there, I suppose."

Lalida was silent, before swiftly regaining her composure, rushing over to the kitchen, while Gerson stood shakily, going after her to make sure that Frisk would be all right.

In the bedroom, Napstablook used their blue magic to tuck Frisk in, leaning close. Frisk was shivering as if they were freezing, and yet, they were hot to the touch as they squirmed under the blankets.

"Here," Lalida said as she came in, moving over to place a cool, damp rag on their forehead. "This should help…"

"Oh…thank you…" Napstablook managed. "Um…how long…do you think they'll be like this?"

"I'm no expert with monsters," Lalida murmured. "So I have no idea. I'm no doctor either, so I'm just doing what I did with my own children and hope that it works."

"Well then," Gerson said as he stepped into the doorway. "If they were human, how long?"

"I'd think a few days…though, I don't think it was just what they went through this night that caused this whole commotion. Have they been dealing with stress? That helps contribute to it."

"Oh no…" Napstablook mumbled. "With the way things are…" They looked up at Gerson. "With all those meetings they're forced to go to…and well…"

"And that they're more stubborn than Undyne…" Gerson sighed. "Kid's been run ragged enough. This was just what sent them the rest of the way." The turtle quietly came over, looking at the child. "For goodness sake, Kid. You can tell us when you're reaching your limits," he muttered.

"They sound like a little handful," Lalida murmured.

Gerson snorted. "That's the short version…"

Lalida stood. "I'm afraid there isn't much else I can do right at this moment. But I'll see if I can't have something ready for when they wake up again. Soup might be good…"

"At this moment, you're the expert," Gerson assured. Then, he glanced back to the ghost. "You can go back now, if you want. I can handle watching the squirt on my own."

"Oh…well…I'd stay, but…I think one watching will be enough…I'm sorry…" With that, they vanished.

Once things had settled and Lalida had food cooking, she returned to the living room, looking at the drowsy group. The only ones who seemed to be comfortably awake were Mettaton and Napstablook. Even Grillby's head was lowered; his flames low.

"So," Henry murmured. "How did you find this place? It wasn't like we had contacted anyone yet about finding yer little critter."

Grillby tiredly raised his head. "A mixture of tactics, really…"

Dogamy smiled a little at his tired friend. "We followed the channel down to the bay. We were using my abilities to track them, but we lost it some ways down and had to just follow the channel. Once there, and there was no sign, we were in a bit of a bind," the canine continued. "Though Grillby managed to stay on top of things."

"I just did what I thought would get us results. If Frisk fell into the bay, then we had to check the shores for them."

Mettaton nodded. "So our flamed companion ordered myself—and my cousin to fly around to the far side of the bay, and start from there, and that we'd meet up on the bridge."

"It took a while," Napstablook mumbled. "But…I eventually sensed them here, so we went and gathered everyone else…though it was a little difficult since our cell phones don't work out here…"

"It's just a good thing your home is right by the shore," Mettaton replied. "Or it would have taken us a lot longer to find the darling."

"Speaking of news…" Dogamy looked tiredly up. "Do you have a phone? We need to let Michael know, as he went off to grab those other humans that caused this mess…"

"Oh!" Lalida clapped her hands together. "Yes, we have a phone…somewhere…"

Henry sighed and went to the table, rummaging through the items. "Why can't we have a wall phone like normal people?" he grumbled.

"Because it'd be too far away from where I work," the woman complained as Henry finally managed to fish out their phone, while Grillby glanced over to the broken fish tank.

"What happened there…?"

"One of my wife's dang fangled experiments got out."

Dogamy paused. "Was that the thing you were…disposing of when we came?"

"Yep. As sweet as my wife is, all her stuff creates sharp-toothed blood hungry fish."

"I just wondered what would happen if I mixed the DNA of an eel and a piranha together…"

"What did you think was going to happen?" Henry muttered as he gave the phone to the canine. "That it'd sprout wings and be an angel?"

"I had to know!"

Mettaton stared. "…she and Alphys cannot work together," he muttered to his cousin.

"Alphys isn't that bad though…" Napstablook mumbled.

"But I don't need one influencing the other…"

Napstablook paused to conjure up the mental image—and then realized what Mettaton was getting at. "Ohh no…" they mumbled.

Lalida clasped her hands together. "You all look rather tired. Please, make yourselves at home until we can figure out what to do with all of you. Just ignore the mess, please. We rarely ever have a need to clean up…"

Grillby nodded. "We appreciate the offer…"

A couple of hours later, most monsters found themselves asleep somewhere in the home, catching up on long lost rest. Dogamy had made things clear to Michael, and they agreed that as soon as he settled things on his end, he'd come find them.

Gerson was stubborn, not leaving the child's side as he drifted in and out of sleep. He stirred when Lalida entered the room, tiredly opening his eyes. "Any better?" the human asked as she approached.

"Still burning up," Gerson replied as she switched out the former rag for a new damp one.

"This should help at least," Lalida murmured. "They also had a fairly bad headache earlier, and they were asking for 'Grandpa Gerson's' medicine."

"That would be me." Gerson looked down quietly. "Headaches are unavoidable for them, however."

"And why's that?"

Gerson hesitated, unsure if he should actually say anything. However, if she wanted to harm Frisk…she would have done so when she found them. "Well…Frisk shares their mind with a handful of other souls. It can get rowdy, and when it does…"

Lalida's eyes widened with a sense of awe and curiosity. "Really? This little child…" She gave a hum of thought. "Perhaps I could research something; I've been dying for a new project."

"Say what now?"

She quietly placed her hands together. "I'm saying I'm going to help. This child is stressed and overworked as it is; the last thing they need is unwanted headaches. Since there are other souls in them that don't seem to be dominant…surely one could make something that could 'numb' the other souls—if that's something we want."

"If the kid can switch back and forth—yes," Gerson replied.

"Well, there's an idea. Now to figure out how to go about it," the woman murmured.

"I may have a starting point," Gerson stated. "Monsters are of magic—we know a bit more than humans when it comes to that. It's a stretch, but maybe I have something."

"Huh…sounds like you'll have to pay us another visit."

"You helped save their life, so I'm not complaining…"

"It's Henry you should be thanking," she assured. "He's the one who fished them out, and, without even knowing what they were, he had the heart to stop fishing and come racing home."

Nearly an hour later, there was a knock on the door, and Henry went to open it, finding a young man. "Hello," Michael said as he extended his hand. "I'm Michael, head of government security. The monsters called from here…?"

Henry shook his hand, and allowed him in. "Name's Henry. They're all sleeping."

Michael nodded, stifling a yawn. "Lucky them…been up all night."

"So I've heard. A bit of a fuss, wouldn't you say?"

"Something of the sort…"

"Oh? They're already here?" Lalida called from the kitchen.

Michael perked in surprise. "Dr. Ja-key."

"Hm?" She poked her head out over the counter. "…Michael?" She gasped. "Why, it's Michael—it's been a few years."

"This is where you live!" he quietly exclaimed with a smile. "I haven't seen you since you retired."

Henry snorted. "Like she actually retired," he muttered under his breath in amusement.

"I told you I lived on this side of the bay. Why did you think no one ever saw my husband? The labs are just a short walk away, even for an old lady like me."

"I just didn't know it was this cabin here," Michael replied sheepishly. "It's good to see you again."

"As it is to see you," she replied. "How's our Leader holding up?"

"Just fine."

"And oh, your senior that retired. Jeremiah…that was his name wasn't it?"

"Actually, he's sitting in a jeep waiting on me and the others."

"Wait—they have to leave now?"

Michael rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sure they want to go home after all this…"

"What about the trek up the mountain?" the woman replied.

"And what if the people have more members and find this place?" Michael countered. "At the very least, they'll be safest at the Capital Building. We'll figure things out from there."

"He's got a point, Lalida," Henry pointed out. "We're not exactly able to fight, now are we?"

Lalida sighed…and caved in. On the promise that they take a bowl of the soup for the child once they woke up.

After waking the group, most started to leave. It was only dimly lit with the sun just starting its climb. Dogamy, who didn't have the sharpest eyesight in the first place, let out a yelp outside and the others winced at the sound of glass crunching underfoot.

"What in heavens!?" Lalida called out, rushing to the injured canine, who had risen his injured paw off the ground. Beside the little path from the cabin, to the road, was a knocked over trash can, and the canine hadn't seen the broken glass. "Are you all right!?" she demanded, levitating the rest of the glass away while Grillby rushed to the canine, supporting him.

"I'm fine," the canine managed. "It's only bleeding…"

Henry surveyed the mess and gave an irritated sound. "Damn Raccoon…"

"Are you sure you're all right?" Michael asked. "That's a lot of blood," he murmured, glancing to the messy paw print that had been left behind.

"Regardless if he's all right or not," Grillby started. "We're tending to that wound now. Do you have a first aid kit?"

"Of course," Lalida replied, before scurrying off as Grillby helped the canine back to the house. A strong breeze came off the bay, ruffling the canine's fur, and causing the elemental's flames to go erratic briefly. The canine raised his head, looking to where the wind was blowing. The breeze was going toward the science labs and military buildings, carrying along the faint scent of monster blood.


	63. A Blaring Wail

Frisk felt as if they were in water, sinking down, down, and further down. Falling…yes, that's what it felt like. A slow descent into darkness. It was all right…they drifted, eyes closed; until a hand grabbed their own. They opened their eyes tiredly, seeing Sans drifting above them, his left eye glowing.

He drew them close, his magic surrounding them. One moment, they were deep in the water, and the next, they were being laid down on dry land. "Kid, come on, look at me," Sans coaxed.

They coughed, blinking up at him tiredly. He sighed, petting their head. "There, that's better." Then he rose. "We're over here!" he called.

Appearing almost out of nowhere, were the other souls Frisk had, minus Gaster, as always. "My child!" Toriel rushed forth, kneeling next to them. "Oh goodness, little one, are you all right? We've been searching for you!"

Frisk tilted their head in confusion, not understanding as others came forth. "O-oh dear," Alphys stammered. "Th—their condition in here m—might reflect their fever…"

"But why was it so hard to find the punk if they can't move?" Undyne demanded.

"That is a very good question!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"Let's calm down," Asgore murmured as he approached, coming beside the child as well.

Muffet came into sight a few moments later, looking exhausted. "Are…they…all…right…?" she managed between breaths.

"Not quite," Sans murmured. "The fever was so bad that I had to go swimming for them. They were pretty deep in their head there…but uh…Pap, might want to block your hearing."

"Oh gods," Papyrus muttered, bringing his hands up to cover where his ears would have been.

"The rescue did go… _swimmingly…_ " Even though Papyrus didn't hear it, he still cringed, though Frisk couldn't help a smile, and tiredly reached over, grabbing the skeleton's hand.

"Uh, Frisk…" Sans comically raised the captured hand. "I kinda need this…you…gonna give it back?"

They shook their head.

"But what if I need it?"

They insisted he didn't as their other hand grabbed Toriel's.

"Uh, Tori…we wouldn't happen to have a crow bar here, would we?"

Toriel giggled. "No…but we have Asgore if we get desperate."

Asgore chuckled, ruffling Frisk's hair. "You'll recover soon, child," he assured.

"That's right, Punk! This little thing isn't going to keep you down," Undyne added as she dropped down beside the others.

"Nyeh—heh—heh! Like a little fever would stop someone like Frisk."

"W—well, that is true," Alphys agreed. "However…we need to be more careful. Frisk is still just a child—they can't handle all of this. We need to inform William that Frisk can't keep coming so often. It's either a long walk, or a large use of magic to get down there, both of which aren't healthy for them on a daily basis."

Sans nodded. "We'll sort this out when we can all think clearly," he assured. "For now…let's just keep this stubborn little squirt here," he replied, before laying down, allowing Frisk to keep his hand.

The others gathered close, as if to keep the little one safe, as they shut their eyes, resting as the fever remained.

Eventually, they heard other voices. "Yo…they're going to okay…right? …they don't look so good…"

"Don't worry, Neck-Warmer just has a fever. The humans all said it would go away in a few days at the most."

"Mom and Dad were worried—I got yelled at."

"Sorry about that, Squirt. I talked to them and explained everything."

"They may not let me down into the city anymore."

"We'll have to see how it goes."

Frisk groaned, opening their eyes, frowning at the orange and green smudges in their vision. "Yo! They're up!"

"Shh…" Gerson leaned closer. "Neck-Warmer?"

"Grandpa…" they whimpered.

"It's okay," he soothed, petting their head between their horns. "Can you sit up? We can get you some soup."

Frisk nodded and he helped them up. "Here, Rex, keep them company."

"Right!" They hopped onto the bed, watching Frisk with concern. They were mostly tucked in, though their tail had managed to slip into view. Rex was quiet for a few moments, and then flicked their tail over Frisk's.

The child perked in surprise, looking hazily to them. The reptile dipped their head sheepishly, but then turned their head as Gerson came back with a bowl of soup. He approached, sitting down beside Frisk, and then offered them a spoonful. They slowly drank it, taking their time swallowing it.

It was then, as they looked around, that they realized that they were somehow back in the Royal's Home. They made a questioning sound as they took note of the surroundings. "We brought you back home," Gerson explained. "It was best that way so that no one could find you."

"And the nice lady let us take her soup," Rex explained with a smile.

Frisk paused, and then remembered the woman vaguely, and nodded. Once they were better, they wanted to track her down again. The child continued slowly eating, and then asked about their attackers. "Michael rounded them up," Gerson assured. "They're being taken care of." Frisk nodded, but couldn't help that things didn't feel…right.

The attack a while back, and this one…they didn't make much sense to the child. They were just so…random. Though in the back of their mind, others reasoned that these were attacks of hatred. There didn't need to be much logic involved.

On the other hand…to allow themselves to be so easily caught as well…and yet, to also attack when there were humans around that would side with them… Frisk groaned, their vision swimming as they tried to think.

"Easy, Neck-Warmer," Gerson soothed. "Don't worry about that stuff for now. You just focus on getting better, all right?"

"Yo, he's got a point," Rex assured, their tail attempting to curl around Frisk's, despite the lack of flexibility it had. "Just rest up and get better faster."

* * *

At the tavern, Grillby quietly cleaned up after the morning rush. Just when he thought he had a moment—the door opened. He turned, expecting to see a guest, but instead, he saw Fiona. He smiled tiredly. "Good morning, Dear. What's brought you out to Snowdin today?"

"Just wanted to see you…and tell you about some stuff that's been going on. Since you've been busy and I've been busy…"

Grillby dipped his head, and they moved over to the booths, sitting across from each other. "So what has been going on?" Grillby asked.

Fiona smiled. "Well, for one, my parents haven't been out on a hunt since then."

He rose slightly. "Truly?"

She giggled. "I know, it sounds weird, doesn't it? But I mean it. They haven't gone on a hunt. Sure, they've been helping out with the kingdom—but they're home way more often than ever…so, we've been doing more stuff together."

Grillby's flames quieted in content. "Good," he murmured. "And…have you been enjoying that?"

"Yes," she replied. "It's been really…nice, to just, spend time with them and not worry about their hunts."

"About time, I'd say."

"Uncle Grillby!" she lightly chided.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Oh you know what!"

"Do I?"

"I swear!" she laughed.

Grillby chuckled, and then tilted his head. "…hrrm…" he hummed as he studied her.

She blinked. "What…?" She looked down at her attire.

"You're not in your school uniform," he murmured.

"Because it's not school anymore?"

"But you were wearing it recently despite being summer," he pointed out. "Though it's still a bit formal, what you're wearing…are you planning to go elsewhere today?"

"Maybe…?"

"With a date perhaps…?" he asked gently. Her flames had a pink hue in them, and she nodded. Grillby chuckled. "You are rather endearing when you blush."

She covered her face as her flames burned higher. "Uncle Grillby!"

He still laughed, enjoying the teasing. "So then, it's that boy from school again? What was his name…"

"No," Fiona replied, peeking between her fingers. "Someone else?"

"Someone else? Really? You were dating the other all through high-school."

"Yeah…through high-school. That's over now."

Grillby paused. "…ah…" he finally replied. "I see…" When school ended, so had the relationship. There were no harsh words or the like; it was just that it had quietly faded away along with many other things in that final year of school.

"Well, dear, I hope that works out then, do enjoy yourself."

"I will," she mumbled as she stood.

Grillby was up, and instantly had his arms around her. "You know I'm only teasing you, Dear."

"I know…"

"I didn't go too far, did I?"

"Anything is 'too far' when it comes to teasing," she grumbled.

He chuckled, resting his head against hers briefly, their flames exchanging. "Go have a fun time," he murmured as he released her. She smiled, and then left with a little wave.

* * *

Not too far away from his tavern, Dogamy scooped up Canis. "Well, all your siblings are certainly lively," he murmured, glancing to the rest of the home where the other pups were scampering around. Aside from Dogmatix—though he was just trying to climb Dogaressa's legs.

Dogaressa smiled and scooped him up, though he then tried to keep climbing. "It stands to reason she doesn't want to do much. She's the little one after all. Besides it works out…" She glared at him. "Mr. Didn't watch where he was stepping."

"There wasn't any glass on the path when I first went there," he grumbled.

"You're lucky it was just some cuts," she muttered, glancing to his bandaged foot. "Honestly, Dogamy. Be more careful."

"It wasn't my plan to get hurt," he practically pouted as he held his small daughter close.

"Then why did you get hurt?"

"Best made plans often go astray?"

"You hear that my little Matix? Daddy can't stick to the plan."

Dogmatix titled his head, his black ear tips wiggling, giving her a blank stare.

Dogamy grumbled as he nuzzled his daughter. "Now your mother is just being mean."

Canis looked up at him tiredly. Then, she opened her mouth with a little yawn, and slumped against his chest. "And you don't care…"

His wife snickered. "So much for a Daddy's Girl like Doggo claimed."

"I'll have to have a word with him," he grumbled, before he heard a whine. He looked down in confusion to see Dogtanian sitting by his feet, whimpering as she pawed at the bandage. Dogamy smiled and leaned down, picking her up by the scruff. "It's okay, Sweetie," he soothed. "It's just a little boo-boo."

Dogaressa snickered at his wording while Dogmatix pushed at her muzzle curiously. Dogtanian, however, whimpered some more of her concern, and was only soothed after Dogamy nuzzled her, giving her forehead a quick lick. Dog monsters were more feral in some of their ways, this being one of them.

"Well that was endearing," Dogaressa murmured as she sat beside her husband. "At least one of our little ones cares," she teased.

"It's not my fault that Canis is tired…"

Dogaressa giggled. "It'd help if Lupus or Beowulf donated some of their energy to her, wouldn't it?" she asked as she motioned to the roughhousing boys.

"Just a little…"

* * *

A week later, Napstablook flew ahead of the group. "Oh…be careful! Frisk! You only just got better!" They were down in the city, crossing the large bridge over the bay on foot. 'They' consisted of Grillby, Mettaton, Napstablook, Gerson, a mostly healed Dogamy, Rex, and a mostly recovered Frisk.

Frisk simply nodded, leaning against Rex slightly. They felt better—the walk was long…but they were determined to make it all the way to the house without being carried, though they could tell Gerson was just about ready to grab them and put them on his shoulders.

Rex didn't seem to mind being a support though, gladly letting the fusion lean on them—even if it was somewhat heavily. "Yo, we're almost across!" they assured.

"Thankfully, the home isn't far from the bridge," Grillby murmured.

Dogamy limped slightly. "Though too close to shore for your liking."

"Of course it had to be a fisherman's home," Grillby muttered.

"Well if it hadn't been, Darlings," Mettaton called as he caught up. "Frisk could have been in a much worse situation."

"Agreed," Gerson replied. "We may not notice, but if we lost our little Neck-Warmer…"

"Things would reset…" Napstablook mumbled softly.

The group talked quietly. There had been a meeting that day, but Frisk was allowed to sit out on it, and had spent the time napping. After lunch, they started their way to the place, with Frisk wanting to walk so that they'd know how to find it.

At long last, they followed a little path of large stepping stones that weaved around some trees to the shore, and to the little cabin. Frisk and the reptilian child hurried forth, with Dogamy raising his head. "Careful where you step!" he warned. "Glass is not something you want to be cut by!" he called after them, with Grillby looking to him in concern. The wound had mostly healed, but the bandages showed a little bit of red.

The children made it to the door safely, with Frisk tapping it with a spare hand. A minute later, the door opened slightly, only to be thrown completely open a second later. "Hello!" Lalida called as she opened the screen door and knelt down. "Oh, you look so much better now."

Frisk offered up the bowl. "…thank you…"

Lalida smiled and took it. "No need," she assured. Then she beckoned them in. "Here, here, we're making dinner, I'm sure we can accommodate for more of you~"

"Lalida! I don't know if I caught enough fish!" Henry called from the back of the house.

"There's always the second ta—"

"No one's gonna eat your Hell-Spawn!"

"Why, I'm appalled!" Though she sounded more amused than upset.

Frisk wondered if Undyne would be concerned about eating fish, but oddly, the fish monster didn't seem to have an issue. Frisk wasn't sure if it was anime, or the fact that monsters did seem to fish if the fishing pole in Snowdin was anything to go by…though that wasn't being used for its intended purposes…

Dinner was quickly made and enjoyed, with a bit of a clamor all around that Frisk mostly tuned out. However, afterwards, Gerson managed to grab Lalida for a moment. "Remember when we last talked and you mentioned finding a way to tone down the ruckus for Frisk?"

"Yes?"

Gerson pulled out a box from his shell and opened it. Inside, were gems and stones of varying colors and sizes. "My wife…she collected these way back when. They all have some magical properties. Maybe you could figure something out with these."

Lalida looked at the gems, at the turtle, and swiftly picked up on a few clues. "Oh—are you…are you sure? These are…"

"She'd want them put to good use."

"Right…" She smiled. "I'll see what I can do. Monster magic and human science…there's an alchemy mix that I've been wanting to see."

For a while, everything was fine. Henry and the adults talked to one another, Gerson and Lalida focused on their project, while Rex and Frisk opted to play a little outside. However, just as the last ray of sunlight vanished, a jarring sound took everyone to their feet. A blaring wail.

Dogamy covered his ears. "What is that!?"

Henry and Lalida dropped what they were doing, and the woman rushed to the door. "That's the alarm for the government facilities!" she hollered. The others looked in worry and confusion, and darted after her. "Something's gone wrong!" No sooner did she say that, and the monsters heard familiar wails.

Sounds they hadn't heard since the Abyss.


	64. Soul Shatter

The monsters froze, aside from Dogamy, whose sensitive hearing had him trying to block out the wailing alarm. Gerson looked over. "That better not have been…"

"Oh no…" Napstablook moaned.

Grillby was silent for a few moments, before whipping around. "Lalida—you worked there—what were they doing inside!?"

"I was a scientist for one specific department!" she exclaimed. "I didn't have access to everything!" There were more inhuman sounds coming from the place.

"That sounds like your department!" Henry hollered.

"Not every Hell-Spawn is mine—thank you very much!"

Grillby's flames snapped loudly. "Please save your bickering for later!" He pointed harshly toward the buildings. "Can we get over there?"

Lalida nodded. "There are guards—but—"

Grillby whipped around. "We need to see what's going on there—from what we're hearing…" He looked to everyone. "Aside from Dogamy, Frisk, and Rex, the rest of us should see what's going on…"

"What?" Dogamy called over the wailing alarm.

"Frisk, get him to the other side of the bridge—now!"

The child nodded, grabbing his hand and Rex's shoulder as they darted toward the door of the house.

Grillby turned to Lalida and Henry. "I rather not get shot at for approaching the place—can you accompany us? They would at least recognize you…" Lalida looked to where the sound was coming from, and then nodded weakly.

"Then we move now," Grillby stated firmly, flames crackling.

With that, the group headed for the road, hurrying for the government buildings. Whereas, on the other side of the bridge, through one of the doorways in the capital building, Frisk, Rex, and Dogamy stumbled into a hall, and promptly collided into William and Michael.

There were shouts of alarm at first, and the group swiftly detangled themselves, with Michael looking a little shaken. "I—I thought you guys left!"

Dogamy gave a low moan, putting his hand to his throbbing head. His ears were still picking up on the now distant wail. "There's trouble on the other side of the bridge!"

"We know," William said as he stood. "We're heading that way now—"

"Let me come back," Dogamy demanded. "If the alarm is turned off, I can help with whatever it is that's causing trouble!"

"What about us?" Rex demanded.

"You two stay here—"

"Dogamy," Frisk cut in, though it was Undyne leading this. "Let us come back. If there are injured, I can get them to safety, and Rex can cover us. That's what they were taught."

Dogamy groaned, unwilling to relent. "Just take them," Michael said. "We don't have time to argue."

The canine growled. "Fine, but if you see danger, you get away from it, do not engage, just get back to this side of the city."

"Come on!" Michael demanded. "Time's a wasting!"

* * *

Grillby and the others moved as swiftly as they could, eventually coming upon the facilities with Lalida and Henry at the front. There used to be a large front security gate—but it looked like something had smashed into it, busting out. The monsters became tense while Lalida cautiously looked around.

Humans were scurrying about in a panic, and there were shouts and screams from other areas. Lalida stared, and then grabbed a young yellow-eyed as he darted by. "Young man—what happened!?" she demanded.

The spooked man looked to her shakily. "So—something broke out of one of the facilities—a lot of them!"

Another wailing screech jerked them to attention, and the monsters and humans jerked back as there was another explosion, the alarm blaring louder. The man wore a radio, and it crackled, before a panicked: "They broke through the outer wall on the far side!" blasted through.

The other man began to panic. "They're completely outside of the facility!"

Grillby stepped forward. "Where is the far side?" he demanded, while the man backed away from the elemental in fear. Lalida's eyes narrowed, and then she pointed.

"That way!"

The elemental nodded, and then looked to the others. "There's going to be some injured…"

Gerson raised his head. "I can help with any wounded first, and then I can meet back up with the group."

Grillby then looked to Mettaton and Napstbalook. "Can you give us an idea of what's going on from above?"

Mettaton raised his hands. "I can only hover in this form, I can't get high enough to give a birds eye view," he explained.

"…I can go," Napstablook murmured, but they hesitated. "I can see the souls already and…" Napstablook faded. "It's like in the Abyss," they managed. "Whatever's loose now, they're…"

Grillby nodded. "Right. Stay out of range, pin point their location, and come back to us."

Napstablook flew up, while Gerson looked to Lalida. She nodded, and then, she, he, and Henry entered the area to look for the wounded, leaving it so there was only the elemental and the robot.

"Anything on your scanners?" Grillby asked.

"Not much yet," he reported. Then he folded his arms. "You heard what Blooky said…"

"I figured as much when we started hearing all that noise," Grillby replied.

"What do you make of it though?" Mettaton asked. "Why would they have beast monsters here? We were all sealed into the mountain…"

"There could have been survivors who we thought had been killed," Grillby replied. "However, whatever happened afterwards could still have resulted in beast monsters eventually. They don't die naturally, like we or humans can. You can only kill them…"

"That still doesn't really answer why some are in this facility, does it?"

"No," Grillby agreed. "No matter why or how, there is one thing I can be certain of…" His flames crackled, and Mettaton caught a glimpse of blue and white dancing among the orange. "I will have a few questions for the humans once we settle this issue."

"I have no quarrel with that," Mettaton replied steadily.

Napstablook suddenly swooped down. "Oh no, there's a lot of them, and they're pretty big!"

"Numbers?" Grillby asked.

"I think, at least a dozen?" the ghost replied. "It's really hard to tell. There's a lot of humans fighting them, but they're so big, and so some are getting away…"

"Then we need to catch one that is escaping the commotion," the elemental replied. "We can't let them get too far from the facility—if they do, many more lives will be in danger!"

"Then this way!" Napstablook called before darting off. The two followed swiftly. After the fight in the Abyss, the monsters were at least somewhat confident in their ability to take on such beast monsters—though they knew their numbers had been greatly reduced since that time.

They rushed after Napstablook, metal stomping into the ground, while flames grew as they followed through the dark. Grillby's flames crackled loudly as he realized the beast monsters were heading toward the bridge, the only thing connecting the city to the dangers. He rolled up his sleeves, his flames growing up his arms.

"Oh no…" Napstablook managed as they kept in the lead. "They're moving quickly!"

"We cut them off at the bridge!" Grillby shouted, veering off slightly, with the other two quickly change their path. Luckily, the two couldn't tire in the same sense as others, and could take the risk of plowing full speed ahead to catch up to the beasts.

The three caught sight of the bridge and raced forth, desperate to stop the beasts as one emerged into view, heading for it. An instant later, a ball of flames plowed into its side. The beast shrieked, stumbling on its four bulky legs, before turning, towering over the other monsters. It was nearly three times their height, with a girth to match, and two large fangs in its under bite.

The monsters cut in front of it, sliding into position to defend the bridge back to the city. They could handle this beast. Grillby sent another attack while Mettaton darted forward, relying more on his physical capabilities.

Napstablook vanished out of sight, as they tended to do within battles. The beast lunged, aiming to swat at the robot, but it cried out as its limb sunk into the ground. It scrambled to stay up on its three good legs, pulling in vain at its trapped limb.

Instantly, the other two attacked without mercy, knowing to dispose of it quickly. Flames and harsh metal hailed down on the beast, until finally, it gave a dying cry, crumbling into dust, and scattering in the breeze.

Mettaton regained his stance as Grillby stood fully, his flames dancing oddly around him, while Napstablook ended up reappearing. "Are you two okay…?" the ghost asked. They nodded, but their relief was cut short when they heard more sounds. Loud screeches and wails, and the thundering of massive beasts approaching rapidly.

Napstablook turned with a strangled gasp. "Oh no…there's a whole bunch coming!"

Just as they finished that, five massive ones stormed the bridge. There was no chance to hold them all off, and the three dove to the side to avoid being crushed. Instantly though, the elemental rose again. "We have to go after them!" he barked. "Any monsters and the humans in the city are going to be in danger!"

Napstablook instantly shot off, phasing out of sight in the bridge as they flew to catch up with the rampaging beasts.

On the other side of the bridge, Michael slammed his breaks, causing the others to cry out as he slid to a halt. "What the hell are those!?" he demanded.

Dogamy groaned as he peered out his window, and then stiffened. "Oh gods…"

Frisk stared in terror while Rex rose, before freezing. "Yo…those aren't…haha…" Their laugh was nothing genuine. They turned to look at Frisk and Dogamy. "Those aren't beast monsters…right?"

"Beast monsters?" William asked.

"Short version," Dogamy said as he stepped out of the vehicle. "Kill them. Now." Frisk peered down the bridge, and noticed a flicker of flames around the swarm.

With a gasp, they hopped out, their left eye glowing as they detected quite a few shortcuts—more than normal in a given area. They weren't complaining as they moved, for they were against Dogamy's methods. There had to be a way around killing them. They vanished into a shortcut, stumbling out of one on the bridge behind the beasts, but in front of their fellow monsters.

They gave a whistle, as the three caught sight of them. "Frisk!" Grillby exclaimed as he rushed forth. "Why—?" They stated that they could get him to the other side of the bridge quickly, and with that, they grabbed hold of Mettaton while Napstablook came back, resting on their cousin's shoulder as they were brought back through the shortcut.

Grillby looked at the bridge on the safe side, analyzing the issue, and then he looked back at the city. Humans, and what monsters were there, had started to gather around, uncertain to what the commotion was. The elemental frowned. This wasn't good.

He approached them, his flames dancing wildly. "Everyone—get inside!" he shouted. "It's not safe out here! If you're near your home—allow others to enter, there isn't time for everyone to get back to their shelter safely, regardless if you're human or monster!" The humans shifted awkwardly, unsure of him. The elemental didn't care as he stepped forward, bringing his foot down firmly as white flames danced on his features. "GO!"

Frisk approached the corner of the streets by the bridge, resting their hand on something with a grimace. "Yo…" They turned to look at their worried friend. "What do we do…?"

The former human glanced around, and then pointed at a group of young monsters that looked a little lost at what was going about around them. Frisk said to look after them. "But what about you?"

Frisk gave a smile, resting their hands on the reptile's shoulders, assuring them that they could handle themselves, and that, in the end, when it came to protecting people…they were the last to worry about. "Yo…I…I don't understand."

The child breathed out softly. "…I promise to tell you when this is all over—now go! I'm going to see if I can help!"

The reptile nodded, and raced for the children, a mixture of humans and monsters. "Yo!" they called, stooping a little. "Come with me, I can keep you safe," they assured, gently coaxing and nudging some of the children away from what would be a dangerous area.

Frisk watched the sight, and then turned, undoing the knots of the scarf, letting the tails go behind them. Now that they were about to fight, they needed their arms to move as freely as possible. The beasts were already upon them. Their ear fins twitched, and then, to buy others some time, they raised their hand, their palm aching as they summoned an aqua wall of magic, as well as forming a decent shield of green as well.

The child stumbled as the massive creatures rammed into their barriers. It wasn't going to hold for long. A few moments later, both shattered, and the beasts were upon the city, with others quickly retaliating.

Areas went gray as William activated his red magic, halting time around some of the creatures. However, he seemed…strained from the effort, releasing one from his hold to allow the others to attack the one, but it was clear that he couldn't hold the others for long.

Another beast was breaking free of it, and Frisk took action. They leapt forth, initiating the fight, clenching all four of their fists tight. There had to be a way through the beast monsters. They used to be like any other, they were just broken—they could be fixed!

Frisk's choices came, and instantly they checked on the creature, the others murmured the obvious to them. It was a broken soul beyond the point of being saved. Frisk ignored it, hesitating over their options. They could talk…but that seemed to be the only available action. They tried it anyways, but nothing special seemed to happen.

That didn't deter the child. There had been many times when talking didn't cut it, or when the ability to spare someone wasn't out of pure actions alone. They had to try—they had try! The attacks caught them off guard however, as a claw grazed their side, taking nearly a fifth of their health.

Frisk gave a startled squeak, but recovered. They were stronger—they had more health! They had gone from fifty to forty, but they were still okay! The others were giving calls of relief as the child did their best to dodge the rest of their attack.

They made it, barely, but they simply opted to spare on their turn…and that was how the fight went. With Frisk occasionally getting hit, as they desperately tried to find a way to reason with it…they tried other methods of acting, some riskier than others in the desperate hopes of being able to communicate to the beast.

There had to be some way! They could be saved—they had to! Frisk clenched their fists as they dodged. They may not have been able to save him…but that was what they always fought for! That was what they always gave everything for!

Frisk panted. They had to figure it out…there had to be some way. The child tuned out the rest of the world…the other fights…the cries of terror in the city. If Frisk could figure out how to spare this one, then they could save all of them.

The child didn't care what the odds were, that never stopped them before. _'Kid,'_ Sans called. _'Come on, we can't reason with them—just stand down and let the others handle this!'_

Frisk shook their head, ignoring his request, insisting that they were going to try. They couldn't back down without trying!

Most others were making protests, but that was when Papyrus's thoughts emerged. _'Frisk is right! We have to try! What if we can find a way to reason with them? We can help them—we can help all beast monsters! We have to do what we can!'_ Frisk smiled. At least they had him on their side.

Without warning, the monster changed its attack. Frisk screamed, narrowly dodging the first blast of magic it had spat out at them. However, they were unprepared for the next blast, and were hit directly. Already on low health, it didn't take much more to bring it to zero…to have their soul shatter.


	65. Constant Agony

Time had reset…but the familiar sensation they were used to, of the pain washing away, their wounds healing—that didn't come with it. Oh, certainly, the wounds healed, but the next thing Frisk knew, was that they had crumpled to the ground, screaming in agony. Rex yelped, jerking in surprise. "Frisk!"

They stared in alarm, however, when they saw that something had changed. Their fusion features had vanished, and for a few brief moments, Frisk seemed to be human again. That soon changed as Frisk clutched at their head, and to the reptile's horror, they could see the horns reappearing.

Frisk gave a strangled cry, rolling over in a vain attempt to escape the pain that surrounded them, but it did no good. Their whole body felt the searing pain, from their head to their feet. Their friend looked over wildly, but everyone was too focused on the attack to come to their aid. Rex gazed back and forth, before finally standing over Frisk to protect them, as they couldn't figure out how to stop their suffering.

They moved, grabbing their dagger in their mouth. It wasn't much, but they couldn't pick up Frisk to escape with them. This was all Rex had, due to their lack of magical abilities. Frisk writhed below them. It hurt—everything hurt! Why!? Why was this happening!? The pain had been horrendous the first time—they didn't want to do it again!

Frisk curled up tight as their features continued to reappear, their eyes beginning to blaze in blue and orange in response to it. It hurt—it hurt—it hurt—they couldn't think! They couldn't do anything! All they could focus on was the pain—and the other pain filled cries in their mind didn't help matters. Why!? It hurt so much, they couldn't…they couldn't take this! It hurt, it hurt—!

The pain dulled into a faint, horrible, but mostly tolerable feeling as hands came around them. Frisk squinted an eye opened, and then jerked with a gasp, finding that they weren't where they last were. Instead of the city, they were in the void of their own mind, with Gaster holding them, looking down at them in concern.

After months of near perfect silence, he had made himself fully known once again. He drew the child against them as they tried to hold back tears, but to no avail. They breathed shakily in between soft sobs, trying to calm down.

Gaster made a soft, soothing sound, petting their back gently as they clenched his attire tight in their fists. "You'll make it," he assured. "It hurts, I know, but you are not being damaged by this."

Frisk whimpered, though they were grateful that Gaster had took them away from the forefront of their mind, where they couldn't feel the pain as greatly. However, they questioned about the others.

"I only took you," Gaster murmured. "The others have to be there in case we're attacked." Frisk protested that they could handle it. He shook his head. "Not the first time," he stated simply. "You were losing yourself to the pain." The child reasoned they were used to it. "Yes, in battle…not right after a reset, child. The others…I don't like doing it this way, but they can best protect you and Rex, with their magic once the transformation nears completion."

Frisk squirmed, not liking that they were still suffering through the changes. The child frowned, and then demanded why it was happening in the first place, when they, in theory, should have reset back to their full on state when they activated the save point just prior to the beasts coming across the bridge.

The child knew they would fight, and had wisely saved, but, this was not what they had in mind for when they died. Tiredly, they questioned why this was even happening—why their form was doing this. "Because you had reset," Gaster explained. "The resets have always restored your form back to its most healthy condition. Thankfully for you, it doesn't do this when you save as well."

Frisk moaned at the thought, but then pointed out that the explanation didn't make sense, as they had died in the Abyss as well, and it didn't happen then. "The Abyss is a place dethatched from reality, little one," the skeleton monster explained. "It also helped that you had reset differently in that death because of your determination."

The child breathed out; practically limp in his hold, before weakly asking if this was always going to happen if they died.

"Yes," Gaster replied, not even bothering to sugar coat it, as there was no way around that. Frisk whined, curling up in his hold.

He stroked their back gently. "All the more reason to be careful, as I see it," he stated. "After all, this alters the timeline now, when you are revived like this. And little Rex…you're going to have to tell them about your time defying abilities…"

Frisk looked up, red eyes opening. "And you're going to have to keep my secret," they stated firmly.

The skeleton sighed with a smile. "Honestly, that secret. Why do you fight so hard to keep it?" They narrowed their eyes. "Ah, perhaps it makes more sense from your perspective. Don't fret; I have no intention of revealing it. I want to stay hidden from the others after all."

Frisk accused that he really wasn't one to talk when he was in the same boat as them with secrets that they wanted to keep. "True," Gaster murmured. "But unlike you, I fear being found out for different reasons. I fear reforming attachments, and then swiftly severing them due to what shall happen to me in the end. You…" Frisk tensed.

"You fear that love will turn to hate, that they will come to despise you, should they figure it out. That everything you built, with your family and your friends…will all crumble away when your support beam of secrets is brought down."

Frisk shuddered in his hold. He was riling them, and he was well aware of it too. They glared, and he lightly tapped their nose. "I think, little child, that you should tell them on your accord. It would go over better that way, no matter how truly severe it ends up being. Ah…" He leaned close, an eerie look upon his wounded, smiling face.

"Until then, I'll be keeping it safe, but…I cannot promise its safety forever. I'm sure at least one has noticed the blanks in your thoughts when it crosses your mind. Eventually, they'll grow curious, and when that happens…well, they'll start searching, and it won't be long before they find me, and if they find me…well…there's little I can do about that."

He started to become distorted, as if he were glitching out of existence. "Now child…time to come back to the forefront. A battle needs you." There was the loud crackling of static, and then he faded away all together. Frisk gasped as they fell, jolting back into the form of their fusion. Frisk gagged, giving ragged gasps as their eyes opened, blazing wildly.

 _'What was that!?'_ Papyrus exclaimed.

 _'The kid did a reset!'_ Sans shouted.

 _'They what!?'_ Undyne demanded.

 _'Um…Undyne…'_ Alphys started. _'Remember what Sans talked about before um…everything? This is what he meant…Frisk can defy time and death, we're back before the fight!'  
_  
 _'They really can do it…'_ Asgore murmured softly in awe.

There was a sigh of relief from Toriel. _'We're okay…they're okay…'_

Muffet was still panicking, though it stood to reason as she had nearly been killed by beast monsters. _'We're okay, we're okay, we're okay—we cannot do that again!'  
_  
"Frisk!" Rex exclaimed as they rolled over, getting shakily to their feet as Rex hopped back. "Yo—are you all right!?"

"I'll be fine," they managed, clutching their head as the other voices began to settle. Then, they grabbed the lizard's shoulders. "Go help the others, trust me on this, I'll explain later."

"But—"

"Rex!" they shouted desperately. The reptile stared at them, and then slowly nodded, reluctantly heading off.

Frisk turned; just in time to realize that the beast had caught up to them and the battle began once more. This time, they were more careful. Dodging better the second time around, they went through one of their actions over and over, each and every turn, healing when they could…but eventually, they ran out of health.

Reset…the pain repeated, as did persuading Rex to go.

They tried again, struggling against the beast monster as they went after a different action. …again, they lost all their health.

Reset.

They tried sparing it, without taking any actual course of action. Once again, they ran out of health.

 _Reset._

They checked the stats over and over, unable to find anything that could help them.

 _Reset!_

Frisk panted in exhaustion from the repeating agony of resetting and dying. They had to keep trying. Deaths repeated themselves in an endless loop as they tried different combinations of their actions and sparing. Death after death. They were killed again.

 _RESET!_ The souls were becoming drained mentally from the constant agony.

 _'Kid, this isn't working,'_ Sans called. _'We need to change our strategy.'_

Frisk shook their head, insisting to spare them. They paused…maybe…they didn't like doing it, but maybe they could force it into submission! The others saw the plan, and saw it was the only option left. Frisk reached into their inventory, grabbing their stick and dagger, leaving two other hands free for casting spells.

They went to fight, and were soon slain.

 _ **RESET!**_

The process was tedious, as the beast's pattern of attack changed—and Frisk continued dying, over and over, as each attack was different than the last. Sometimes, Frisk got it on their first try…other times, they didn't. Reset after reset, death after death, but they had to try, they had to get the health down!

Reset. _Reset. Reset! RESET! **RESET!**_

They continued fighting, they'd get further and further, but that just meant more and more work each time they died, and they were starting to get weary.

 _ **RESET…!** RESET…! Reset…! Reset…_ Reset… … …re…set… … …

Once more, the determined child got up again, engaging the beast monster—and everything turned gray. "Frisk…" They whipped around in their time bubble to see William looking wearily at them. "Don't you think that's enough? You've been resetting how much now? It's been days, weeks…at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if you have done a month's worth of resetting."

"So?" the child demanded, clenching their four fists tight.

"So, I think this is a lost cause," he said as he knelt, grabbing their chin to make sure he had their attention. "Child, you can't spare everything, and it doesn't look like it can even comprehend that. Just step down…"

"Not yet!" they exclaimed. "There's one more thing I can still try—I know it has a chance, you just have to let me get its health down—some creatures will only be spared if you do that!"

"Are you certain it's going to work?"

"It has to!"

"You aren't."

"What does it matter?" Frisk demanded. "We're the only ones who notice."

" _You_ matter," he replied, pointing at them sternly. "You are beating yourself up physically and mentally trying to save someone that can't be saved!" Frisk stepped back. "You're hurting yourself, and the souls inside you by resetting in your current condition—or do you think I haven't noticing you screaming in agony on the ground!?"

"I can handle it," Frisk said through gritted teeth, their left eye blazing.

"But can they?"

Frisk paused, halting, as they realized that. _'…we're getting drained, Kid,'_ Sans murmured. _'But…we can try this one last thing. Get its health down…after that…I don't think we can handle any more resetting, buddy…'_ His voice was weary…

"We'll just do this one last thing," Frisk managed. "We'll spare it that way!"

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?" William asked. Frisk shook their head. He sighed. "Very well. I'd help you, but I need to hold off as many as I can from the city." With that, he headed back toward the bridge. "Though this run around won't do so well due to this bubble…"

He walked away, the colors fading back in as they faced the beast, summoning some magical bone attacks. They had to get its health down, it was the only chance they had left! The beast lunged as they sent down a barrage of bones, a red trident forming in their lower hands as they swung it, hitting it in its maw, as well as shooting out fire at the same time.

Every attack only took out a small bit of health, but Frisk was getting better at dodging, especially when they could use their aqua and green magic to block attacks and keep the beast from moving around in their fight.

* * *

As they survived longer and longer, that allowed for more events to play out within the city. Grillby and Dogamy chased down a beast monster as it careened down onto a main road. Those who had yet to get to safety were screaming, trying to get away from the massive creature.

"Dogamy! The light post!" With that, the elemental surged forward. Dogamy looked in confusion, and then realized what he wanted. The canine raced over, swinging his battle axe with all his might, the weapon digging halfway into the post. He wrenched back, and then swung with another cry, the weapon going all the way that time as he rammed into it.

"Grillby!" The fire elemental moved away from where he had been distracting it as the post came crashing down on top of it. The beast cried out as the flaming monster whipped around.

"NOW!" With that, both he and Dogamy came down upon it with flames and weapons clashing against its large form. In an instant, the beast crumbled away into dust. Grillby gazed down at it before stepping back, and turning to find monsters and humans staring at them. He didn't keep his mind on it as Dogamy's keen hearing picked up on another one.

They rushed off, but when they got to it, they found its limbs were trapped into the road as Mettaton attacked it with his physical abilities. In fact, they came right at the end, where Mettaton slammed down on it, sending it to dust as well. "Are you all right!?" Grillby demanded as he rushed over to the robot.

"Define all right! My hair's a mess, and they chipped my paint!" One could practically hear the dead-pan look Grillby was giving him while Dogamy gave a snort, despite the situation.

"We're okay otherwise," Napstablook called as they came out of the ground.

"Good," the elemental stated. "We need to work fast, there's still many more beast monsters running amuck. Napstablook." He looked to the ghost. "Keep it up, but don't wait on us. Just find them and keep them put so that they can't harm anyone."

"Oh—right!" With that, they were gone.

Grillby looked at them. "Between them and us, we should be safe to split up. Divide and conquer. If they can't move, then we should be able to handle them solo as Mettaton demonstrated."

Dogamy nodded. "Just be careful, you're no fighting monster."

His flames crackled. "Oh, I'll be sure to change that," he promised.

Mettaton looked between them. "We have to hurry then, I'm picking up quite a bit on my sensors."

"Wait!" another voice called. They turned to find a cluster of monsters. They came forward, their gaze on Grillby. "We can help," they insisted to the elemental. "Please, tell us what we can do."

"I'm not sure if you…"

"We can handle ourselves," they assured.

Grillby looked to Dogamy with uncertainty. "…we need all the help we can get," the canine reasoned.

The elemental nodded slowly and looked back to them. "…all right. We have a ghost monster immobilizing them for us. If you find an immobilized one, take it down—if you think you can. Don't do anything risky. The three of us will go after the ones that haven't been stopped yet, as we've had experience with fighting these creatures. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir!" With that, the monsters spread out to save the city.

* * *

Frisk yelped as they narrowly managed to dodge that attack, even feeling the others take hold of their physical form in order to escape it. However, they had managed quite well now. It had to be close at this point. They raised an orange bone. Papyrus had been steering them when they got to the lower health marks, as he knew how much the beast could take.

They went to fight, but, suddenly, Papyrus pulled their arm back before they could make a single move. _'Wait, human!'_ he exclaimed. _'We can't attack them! They can't take any more damage!'_

Frisk halted. The beast was only at one more hit point!? They drew back, and passed on their turn in order to heal, while hoping it would stop. It didn't and attacked, with Frisk narrowly dodging. They tried talking to it…but nothing happened. They tried all their other actions…but nothing happened. They tried to spare it…but nothing happened.

There were only two obvious choices left. Either they killed it…or they ran away. _'Kid…'_ Sans murmured softly.

"…m…maybe I was supposed to spare sooner," Frisk stammered. "That—that's it; there must be some other pattern! There's…there's gotta be…we have to try!" They jerked, looking at their hand to see Alphys's magic fizzle away. "Wh…what?"

 _'I'm sorry Frisk…there's nothing more we can do,'_ Alphys murmured. _'We tried everything…'_

"Wait!" Frisk exclaimed, feeling Papyrus join in on the exclamation. "What are you doing!?" the two demanded. They looked at their hands to see their trident fade, as Asgore reluctantly pulled back, as did Muffet. They felt their magic dimming, all aside from Papyrus's, who was the only one that still stood on their side of this argument.

 _'I'm sorry, Little One…'_ Asgore rumbled. _'We've done everything we could…it's fruitless.'_

 _'I'm so sorry, my child…'_

 _'…we don't like it,'_ Muffet murmured. _'But there's nothing to be done…'  
_  
Undyne was oddly quiet as she drew back; agreeing to the others, but there was a strange reluctance in her. She wanted to keep trying, but seemed to know better about the whole situation. Frisk panicked, feeling betrayed.

They were suddenly snatched up, and screamed in alarm. "Neck-Warmer!" They gasped to see that in this attempt, Gerson had managed to come to where they were, and had snatched them out of the battle. Something crashed down on top of the beast in its weakened state. Dogamy. He growled, and raised his blade.

"STOP!" Frisk screamed, thrashing in Gerson's hold. "Stop! Dogamy! We can save them, don't hurt them! They'll die!" They were crying, their glowing tears falling swiftly.

Gerson flinched, and then held them firmly. "I'll get them out of here," he stated firmly, heading for the street corner so that they wouldn't have to see.

"No! Gerson, stop it! Let me go! We can save them—I can save them!" they screeched, kicking harshly, but it was fruitless. The old warrior wasn't letting them go anywhere. However, they sensed a shortcut. That's right—they could use that. They could still—and it wouldn't activate.

Frisk gave a strangled gasp as they realized Sans had pulled back the ability, reining it away from them. _'Just give up, Kid…'_ They stiffened, eyes widening, their eyes nearly losing all their color, becoming voids of black. It felt so long ago now, but they remembered him saying that before…in a hazy battle where they had to fight to get him back.

 _Just give up, Kid…_ he had said. _…I did…_

The child quivered, realizing now, that all they had, was their voice. They raised their head, and screamed. "DOGAMY! DON'T DO IT! DON'T KILL THEM! PLEASE!" they cried. "LET ME SAVE THEM, LET ME SAVE THEM!" They broke down, sobbing pitifully as they were taken out of sight.

The canine whimpered at their yelling, his ears drooping back. They were heartbroken…but he had to… He looked down at the writhing beast, raising his axe high, with moonlight bouncing off the blade. Then, he swooped down, sending its dust to the wind.


	66. Shouldn't be Crossed

**Over the past few chapters, I noticed my review count go up, but for whatever reason, I can't see the reviews. So if someone commented within the past few days-I can't see whatever you wrote. ;w;  
**

* * *

That was not the last of the beast monsters, and so, despite the soul stabbing guilt Dogamy felt, he didn't linger for long, rushing to the bridge where William was trying to keep the beast monsters at. He rushed forward as flames spread out from Grillby, attacking the beasts closest to crossing the bridge.

Dogamy gave a vicious bark, baring his fangs as he rushed forward, going after another that was trying to get by, his axe gleaming and cleaving a limb off one, blood and dust swiftly drenching his weapon.

Mettaton came rushing in, plowing into another, cursing his lack of material in the area. It was one thing to fight Frisk in a predesignated spot—it was another to be thrown into a fight without warning. He had nothing aside from his own physical strength to use.

He would have to fix this.

As the three fought on the bridge, and Gerson moved to get Frisk to safety, Rex was escorting any children they found toward the capital building, knowing that it was the safest place in this mess.

Luckily, the other monsters that had been in the city were helping to take out the beasts, giving Rex and Gerson clear passage when they did happen upon any. Though, more often than not, they found beasts with limbs phased into the ground.

The good thing that was coming out of this attack though, was the fact that in some cases, monsters and humans had teamed up to deal with some beasts.

Back on the bridge, that was still covered in beast monsters, the monsters were starting to become overwhelmed. Even with Michael helping, it was obvious that while he had a lot of power—it didn't do a lot of good unless they could knock the beast down to keep them from moving briefly. Thankfully, William could supply that opening, but he was getting tired, and probably couldn't keep up his time halting abilities for much longer.

A beast went to lunge for the humans, but as it tried, it instead, fell harshly to the ground, a hind limb phased into the ground. The same thing swiftly started happening to the others. Napstablook had arrived.

With the ghost's aid, they were able to soon overpower the beasts, but even Napstablook was starting to run out of steam, as it cost energy for them to phase things, living or not. Though, thankfully, the majority of beast monsters could no longer use magical attacks, making it decently safe for the ghost, even in the middle of a fray. They couldn't be hurt even if the beasts homed in on them.

The fight still lasted another hour, at the very least, as the group cut through as many as they could. Finally, Grillby blasted through the final beast trapped on the bridge, dropping to his knees as he did. His form seemed smaller, as he had expelled as much as he could to help in the fight.

His flames wavered as Dogamy rested a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right…?"

The elemental nodded and shakily rose. "I'll…be all right," he managed as Mettaton came over. They didn't even have to turn and look due to the loud clanking sound of his footsteps.

Mettaton swiftly scanned them over, and sighed in relief. "You're both all right…" He pointed at Grillby. "However, you need to regain some of your flames, you used too much! And you!" He shifted his gaze to Dogamy. "Your wound is bleeding again—we have to tend to that…and your wife is going to murder both of us…"

"Maybe if we bandage it back up, she won't notice…" the canine murmured.

They didn't have time to debate it as they saw that a cluster of monsters had come to the bridge to make sure they were all right. As the small group came back to them, the monsters turned their gaze to the elemental, speaking to him, and what they had to say, caught him off guard.

* * *

Dogamy looked at Grillby as their group slowly trekked up the slopes of Mt. Ebott. After the fighting had ended, the others managed to find the rest of their group. Gerson, Rex and Frisk had all been in the capital building…though the children had long since fallen asleep, and Gerson opted to not wake them, so they took the long way back.

The canine's ears drooped as he adjusted his hold on the sleeping reptilian child, watching the elemental with concern. "Is…he going to be okay?"

Grillby stared straight forward, not responding. Mettaton and Gerson shrugged helplessly as Napstablook rested in their cousin's hold. "…they want me to stand in for Asgore…?" Grillby murmured.

"That's what they said," Gerson confirmed.

"…they want me to lead…?"

The turtle smirked. "We heard ya' the first time."

His flames rose a little. "This isn't exactly something you're asked every day!"

"Your point?" Now the turtle was just messing with him.

"My point is that I don't understand why!"

The turtle sighed. "They never do…" he murmured to himself. "Look, right now, we don't have a King or Queen ruling the kingdom due to Asgore and Toriel being stuck within Frisk. The monsters need someone to look to…and why not someone who shows leadership capabilities?"

The elemental turned. "Come again?"

"Oi…vay, youngsters." He shook his head slowly. "Tonight, you had a situation thrown at you, and you took it head on. You went to confront the danger, and then you tried to stop it from entering the city. When that didn't work, you still went after it, and from what I heard from onlookers, you're a quick thinker, using what you can to aid your fight. You accepted help, but still valued the safety of others…"

Gerson chuckled. "Honestly, with the way you handled yourself back there, you might as well have been a king…but, even before this, you've shown signs of it. Down in the Abyss…despite all the vulnerabilities you had, you stood up against the dragon, for the sake of others. It was even your intervention that saved Muffet."

"But…some of that could have been anyone," Grillby pointed out. "Being brave doesn't make a leader."

"Not on its own, no," the old monster agreed. "Being brave, making tactical decisions to keep everyone alive, putting others before yourself…that's just a few things that can make a leader. Look, no one's forced you, but you should really consider it, Grillby. We need someone at the head of things that they can see. That they can hear and speak with. And you say so yourself…you're a good listener."

Dogamy nodded. "Asgore was also known to listen to his subjects."

Grillby shook his head. "I'm not so sure about all of this…"

"Just sleep on it," Dogamy assured. "It's a little weird when you're asked to take a position you would never dream of having. Trust me, been there with being asked to accept the role of Captain."

"We're in a bit of some troubling times," Gerson murmured. "Trying to form alliances without a head on our kingdom's shoulders…they're doing all they can, but the souls in one body is taxing on a little child."

Dogamy glanced to the fusion, a soft pitiful whine escaping him as they finally entered the kingdom. The child quietly stirred, but had yet to actually wake. Grillby looked over. "Dogamy? What's wrong?" he asked, wanting to focus on any other issue except his own.

"…they're going to be mad at me…" the canine whimpered pitifully.

The others tried to comfort him, but as they reached the royal's home, Frisk finally woke from a dreamless sleep. It had worked in their favor like that, as they didn't want to deal with the others in their head at the moment. When they found they were being carried, they started fussing. "Whoa—Kid!" Gerson managed as he was forced to put them down.

Frisk dropped down, whipping angrily over, their eyes eerily vacant of color. "How could you!?" they shouted at Dogamy, who instantly ducked his head away, as if he had been hit, while Rex jerked awake with a gasp.

"They could have been saved!" Frisk couldn't truly comprehend it—not being able to spare or show mercy. They had always managed to do it, and wanted to keep it that way.

"Child," Grillby started, but he was cut off as they stomped their foot down.

"You told me they used to be monsters like you! That means they still have a soul—they can still feel—there was still a chance!"

"Kid," Gerson called, a bit sternly. "They are beast monsters, there was nothing more to be done."

The child clenched all their fists, trembling in agitation. "You killed them!" they screamed, their piercing gaze going right into the canine.

The canine lowered his head further, opening his mouth to reply, but finding himself without any words to say, while the cousins looked to each other with uncertainty, unsure of how to step in.

"Why…" they muttered. "Why did all of you just give up!?" Without even waiting for a reply, they stormed down the hall, opening the door to their room, and vanishing inside as it slammed shut behind them, causing the canine to flinch.

"Oh no…" the ghost moaned. "That was horrible…are they really going to be okay…?"

"I'm…not really sure," Mettaton managed slowly.

Gerson sighed. "Let's give them time to blow off some steam; it'll do no good to talk with them when they're like that."

Grillby came forward, resting a hand on Dogamy's shoulder, before moving to take the shocked Rex out of Dogamy's hold. "It'll be okay, child," he murmured to them. "Frisk just needs some time to sort this out…"

"Yo…are you sure?" they asked nervously. "I…I've never seen…seen them…"

"We all have our breaking points," Grillby stated quietly. "That line that shouldn't be crossed. We stepped over theirs today. Give them time to calm down, and then you can talk to them, and smooth out the issues."

"…I don't like that, though."

"I can't say I do either, but…here…let's get you two home, all right? Your families must be worried at this point, and I'm sure there's a litter of pups wondering where their father is…" Dogamy silently nodded, allowing Grillby to lead him out.

The cousins looked at each other, and then at Gerson. "Is there anything you'll need?" Mettaton asked. Gerson shook his head, waving them aside.

"Don't worry about me. You two go home and rest. I'll manage on my own with them. From what I see…things will be fine in the long run."

* * *

Grillby stopped in front of Dogamy's home. "Will you be all right from here?" Dogamy nodded, and entered the home quietly, closing the door behind him. It was dark inside the house, except for the lone candle that lit the center of the room, where Dogaressa was reading quietly, the children all tucked into the slightly oversized pet bed.

Her gaze had gone up the moment she heard the door click, and instantly, she rushed over. "Dogamy!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Where were you? It's late and—" She sniffed at him, and paused, looking down. "You got hurt again, didn't you?" she demanded. "The smell of blood is strong again—"

She was cut off as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her shoulder silently as he held her tight. She paused, and then drew her arms around him as well, her ears drooping low as she realized that something was wrong. "Dogamy…? Dear…what happened? You're worrying me…"

He gave a pitiful whine in response, and slowly, she guided him to their bed, sitting on the edge so that she could snuggle into him, licking his cheek as she tried to coax him into speaking.

"…there were beast monsters in the city…" he finally managed.

She gave a startled gasp. "Wh—what?" she managed weakly.

"I don't know how, or who they were, but there was a whole swarm of them," he managed. "We…we dealt with all we could find…"

"I…know you've dealt with a beast before," Dogaressa murmured. "That was a rattling day, but…it didn't have you this badly shaken—or with what happened in the Abyss…what else happened?"

"I did what I must…but…Frisk…" He shuddered. "It's one thing to kill them as it is…how would you feel, to still slay one as a child screams and pleads for you to stop?" His voice dropped low, barely a whisper, barely a breath of words.

She opened her mouth to speak, but found no words to say. Instead, she hugged him close, nuzzling the side of his neck, before finally managing to find something. "Dear…" she finally murmured softly. She let loose a sigh. "I'm sorry, dear…I'm…I'm sure things will smooth out…"

"You didn't hear them yelling at me…" he whimpered.

Her expression drooped, before she licked his muzzle, and then knelt on the bed to put herself in a better position. Then, her hand rested on his head, gently stroking his fur, and scratching behind his ears as she hummed soothingly. His eyes lowered as he leaned into her with a soft little rumble of content.

She grinned. "There we go, Dear…"

"…I wished we found out about this petting thing a lot sooner…"

"So do I," she grumbled. "Who said dogs couldn't pet other dogs in the first place?"

"Don't know…" he mumbled. "If you find them, please save one little piece for me…"

"I'll think about it."

It was another hour of her pampering her husband, before he finally relaxed, getting over what had happened—for the most part. Children could throw harsh words around, it was best to wait a bit, and hope things smoothed out so that Frisk could be approachable, at the very least.

* * *

Frisk fell asleep again after a couple of hours of crying and angrily shoving back at the souls within them. However, instead of having another dreamless sleep, Frisk found themselves with the others in their dreams, swiftly pushing away from them, wanting to be alone, angry and upset with everyone around them. "Frisk!" the others cried out.

The child ignored them, vanishing deeper into their mind. Toriel stared, and stepped forward, but a gloved hand drew her back. "Wait, Queen Toriel," Papyrus said as he came up beside her. "The human is upset due to everyone drawing their magic away and stopping them from trying anything further."

The tall skeleton cut between the others. "It doesn't matter who's right or wrong, they're upset—and so I'm going to go find them, and talk to them."

Undyne folded her arms, sighing softly. "What makes you think they'll listen to you, though?"

Papyrus looked at her with a smile…but there was an odd silence before he said anything, as if he had chosen his words carefully. "Because I am The Great Papyrus, and one of their friends—and therefore, I shall have no upset little human friends on my watch! They will be compelled to listen!"

Without waiting for the others to respond, he whirled around and went in the direction the child had gone. However, after they were out of sight, his pace slowed briefly. His smile faded away. "…but even I'm not happy about this…" He closed a hand tightly. "I was willing to keep trying, even if it was a vain hope…there was a chance, wasn't there?" He knew about beast monsters, just like any other monster, but…

He was like Frisk in that regard. He wanted to help in every way he could, but, once the others started backing up, he knew there wasn't a chance…but like Frisk, he held out until the very end, because he so badly wanted to save them. Because, if they could save just one…then they would have a starting point to save other beast monsters.

If there was a way to save monsters like that…how many lives could be saved? Not just here, where the living roamed…but down in the Abyss. It was clear that the souls of beast monsters didn't mend down there, and if that was the case…then they would suffer for all of eternity, and it pained him to think that.

Especially when he had learned someone's secret. No, not Frisk's, but in the panicked rushed of thoughts, he caught a glimpse of someone else's…he'd have to talk to them as well in all of this, knowing that they had to be hurting, when they had to back out on saving a beast monster.

As Papyrus walked, he paused; reaching out mentally, and eventually, he figured that he was nearing where the child had chosen to hide in their sleeping hours. As he neared, he closed his eyes, focusing. This place was dark and dreary, and unsuitable for cheering them up! The area around them began to brighten from pitch black as a landscape began to form.

Frisk gasped, looking around as sloping hills covered in snow began to surround them, with mountains in the distance, and a brightly lit starry sky glistened above them. "Frisk…" They turned to see Papyrus who approached, and leaned forward, hands on his knees. "May I sit down?" he asked. "I think we should talk. Just you and me. I came alone."

The human looked at him, ready to refuse, but then, they remembered that he hadn't been the source of their grief. In fact, he was the one who wasn't against them. They nodded. "…okay."


	67. Broken Enough

The tall skeleton flopped down into the snow beside Frisk, leaning back as he looked up at the starry sky. For a while, neither of them actually said anything, their minds wandering over what had transpired.

Papyrus sighed. "Frisk…I'm sorry about what happened…"

The child hugged their knees, staring forward. "…we could have saved them…"

"I know…"

"Then why…" they asked, their voice trembling over the words. "Why did they do that!? I needed their magic—and they took it away—why did they give up!?"

The skeleton scooped them up, placing them in his lap as he hugged them, his entire form coming around them securely. The child took in a sharp breath, before clinging to his chest, sobbing pitifully. Demanding and accusing the others, unable to comprehend why they had done such things.

Papyrus's expression softened as he patted their back, making soft soothing sounds as he tried to stop their crying. It hurt him when they cried, and as of late, it was so horribly frequent due to all the stress that was steadily crushing them. "Wh—why!?" The child wailed, their whole body jerking as they hiccupped.

"…I don't know," Papyrus murmured. "Even I can only try my best to understand without asking, but…Frisk. Even I was taught that…that was what you do to beast monsters. We've been taught that they're beyond saving, and so…it wasn't much to you, Frisk, I know that. You want to save everyone, no matter what, and that is something I want as well."

"However…you were lucky the others stuck with your attempts for as long as they did," he reasoned. "Most didn't think it would work…and some were desperate to try everything, but after all those resets…there was only so much more we could take. Frisk, we're not like you…we're not as durable."

Papyrus withdrew a hand, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Even I can't handle all those resets like you can. That pain…at that point, we were growing concerned, because we know it hurts—we share that pain. Every death…every transformation. We were beside you. We couldn't handle it much more…and we weren't sure how long you could have either."

Frisk quivered. He was right, they knew they were the ones that could get back up easily from a death—though the new resets had caught them off guard. "They didn't have to kill them though! I told him to stop and he didn't!" Angrily, they hit the skeleton's chest with closed fists, but it didn't do a thing, though he felt the weak force.

They were such a vulnerable child in the end, and before they were a fusion, they were so fragile. He remembered that well, only having so many hit points, and somehow, somehow getting through the Underground mostly unscathed. "He killed them…I hate him!"

Papyrus jerked in alarm at the child, his eyes widening. "Wait—Frisk!" he exclaimed. He held them up so they were at eye level. "You can't possibly mean that!" The child shuddered, biting their lip, but giving no reply.

The skeleton fell back, holding the child above them. "Frisk, Dogamy did what was best—even if the two of us disagree with the methods, and hate that it happened—but to hate Dogamy…that is unfair and very wrong. The city was in danger…and we couldn't spare it…" Papyrus grew deathly quiet, not saying a thing for several long nearly intolerable moments.

"…we couldn't spare it…" he repeated hollowly. He sighed. "The point is, Frisk, I can understand being mad. I too, am cross with the others, and upset that Dogamy did go through with this, but we have to be understanding to the situation. Frisk…would you really hate all of them for this?"

The child covered their face, letting loose a strangled sob. They were just so upset, so mad, and for once, they wanted to fling their hurt at someone else, wanting the others to know of, and understand their plight.

They were a child; they could fling their words harshly. They rarely ever raised their voice, but they were angry enough to turn their words into vicious daggers.

Papyrus lowered them down, letting them lay on top of him as he stayed put, petting their back, letting them cry. They always held their emotions in, trying to stay strong, but they needed to break and let it loose…and what better place than in the Great Papyrus's embrace?

It could have been minutes…it could have been hours, Papyrus didn't know, nor did he truly care about how much time had passed. All he was focused on was being there for Frisk. Eventually, their cries subsided as they lay on his chest, whimpering apologies.

He ruffled their hair gently. "Fret not, my small human friend. The Great Papyrus has already forgiven you." He chuckled as they hugged him tight. "Nyeh—heh—heh, you are certainly a clingy one."

The child gave a soft grunt, and stayed put, not budging from their comforting friend. Papyrus kept a hand on their head, staring up at the night sky. "…you should talk to the others soon. They're probably just as hurt as you were, and I, the Great Papyrus, will not stand by while others suffer over this."

Frisk nodded quietly, knowing he was right, and they weren't even against the idea now that their anger had vanished. They just… Frisk sighed, crawling forward so that they could actually see Papyrus's face. Then, they reached forward, placing a hand on his head. Papyrus blinked, tilted his skull to the side in light confusion.

Their crimson eyes dimmed softly, remembering the last time he had been with them in the living realm, his head severed from his body as he stubbornly clung to life for a few extra minutes. They wanted to fix it…the child wanted to fix everything, but first…they quietly asked Papyrus if they could be left alone to sort out their thoughts.

"Well…if you're sure…?"

Frisk nodded, and he sat up, tightening his hold so that they didn't fall, and gently, he set them down, ruffling their hair. "Take your time, all right, Frisk? We'll be around when you're ready. For now, I, the Great Papyrus, have another important mission to attend to, so you hold the fort down here!"

Papyrus beamed as they giggled slightly at his overdramatic display. Mission accomplished! The child was smiling again! With a happy hum, he headed off, vanishing away from Frisk's area. The child watched him go, and sighed, looking up at the starry sky. Now to figure out what to say when they apologized…but words weren't their strong suit, and in the end, they really hoped that somehow, someway, their hugs alone would somehow suffice for the majority.

* * *

Papyrus trekked through the black, smiling when he caught sight of the others. Though he halted as he saw them sitting together, looking beyond exhausted. It was understandable—after all those resets, even Papyrus was drained from the constant resetting and pain.

Quietly, he approached, picking up on the conversation as Sans moaned, covering his face. "Oh gods…" he muttered. "We can't…" His whole form shuddered. "Dying _once_ was Hell, I don't…"

Muffet quivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Why didn't they stop…?" she managed. "It hurt so much to keep doing it…"

There were some vague responses as Toriel slumped against Asgore, and Alphys was laying against Undyne's side. Alphys whined, hiding her face. "We couldn't even do anything," the lizard moaned. "We should have pulled back sooner…"

Undyne was silent, not voicing an opinion either way, concerning the tall skeleton as he halted just before their little circle. Asgore looked up, drawing an arm around Toriel. "We…we cannot let Frisk make a habit out of resetting like this," he stated.

Toriel shook her head. "How does one little child handle that on their own…? We can barely hold on…"

Sans sighed. "We need to talk to them about this," he muttered. "We have to explain that they can't do it the way they used to. Look at us right now…we're broken enough as is—I know Frisk wants to save everything, but…that's too much."

Papyrus made his presence known as he took another step closer. "I'm sorry," he murmured, causing all the others to look at him. "I was insisting just as much as Frisk to keep trying, despite the pain…" He sighed. "Frisk must have been conflicted too…keep fighting to save the beasts…or stop fighting so that we didn't have to suffer along with them. That is usually something they don't have to consider."

"Which is precisely why we need to talk about it," Sans stated bluntly. "The main issue aside that they still did it, is the fact they would do it for certain if we weren't fused in the first place. That kid would still be resetting if we hadn't pulled back on them."

Papyrus heaved another sighd. "That…would be true," he agreed. "However…" He tapped his fingers together sheepishly. "I don't think we should talk to them about it now…"

"Oh, certainly not," Toriel assured. "Not now…" Her expression saddened. "It's going to be a rough topic no matter when we bring it up but…"

"Too soon," Alphys replied. "We need to wait for them t—to not be so mad at us right now…" She shuddered. "I've n—never seen them like that it's just…"

Muffet nodded quietly. "We'll wait for the little dearie to calm down first…" She sighed. "But we cannot do that ever again. It hurts…it's terrifying…and…"

"And you feel like you're losing yourself little by little each and every time they reset," Sans muttered. "Don't worry, we'll definitely talk to them once we are able, but for now, we'll lay low with the topic."

Asgore bobbed his head in agreement. "The conversation would be more fruitful when we are in better condition."

Toriel nodded, looking up to Papyrus. "It's good to know that at least one of us is good at bouncing back to his feet."

Papyrus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well…"

Sans turned, looking up at his brother. "Papyrus?" he asked, before hesitating. "Uh…how…how did it go…with Frisk?"

The tall skeleton smiled as he knelt down. "I, for one, think it went rather well."

"…how mad are they?" he reluctantly asked.

"…they were pretty mad at first," Papyrus admitted, causing Toriel to flinch. "However, I've talked to them, and they've calmed down. They wanted a little more time to themselves before talking to us, however, so I decided to leave them be for now."

Toriel sighed softly in relief. "…that's good to hear," she murmured.

Papyrus gave a happy hum of agreement, while Sans quietly looked to his brother, feeling there was something off with how he carried himself. Usually, there was always full on genuine happiness with him, but…it oddly felt like a little bit of it was forced as he spoke with the others, assuring them that Frisk was no longer mad.

He spoke rapidly to the others, moving his arms in dramatic motions as he explained things to Alphys and Asgore, who responded accordingly. "…is something wrong, Sir?" a new voice asked.

Sans turned to look at the spider monster. She only voiced her thoughts every once in a while to the point that sometimes, Sans forgot that she was even in here with them. "Uh no, I don't think so…just…"

"Hm…?"

"…Pap just seems different right now."

"I'm afraid I don't know him as well as the others, but…" The spider looked to him. "He does seem a little different…"

"…I think he's upset as well…"

Muffet nodded slowly. "It stood to reason. He was just as upset as Frisk when we started drawing back."

Sans sighed, hanging his head. "There was nothing else we could do…right?"

"I wouldn't know," she murmured honestly. "I am not a fighter, and when I do fight, I usually intend to finish what I started. But…we gave them many chances, we tried everything. It was obvious even Frisk wasn't sure what else to do at that point."

The smaller skeleton slowly nodded. "Right…we were running out of options, and…"

"And we weren't too willing to keep going through the pain in what looked like a hopeless cause…"

"…I kinda regret that I stopped them though…"

"I think we all do," she murmured. "They wanted to save the beast monsters so badly."

Sans sighed heavily. "Geeze, why does that kid feel obligated to save everything?"

"Because they did it all the time down here?"

He groaned, drawing a hand over his face. "Gods, that kid doesn't understand 'give up'."

"That's a good thing though," Muffet pointed out. "If they knew how to give up, you'd still be in the Abyss, and that place is very far from pleasant."

"Yeah…" Sans then pulled a smile. "It's _Abyssed_ lonely down there and kinda de _void_ of any life."

"SANS!" Papyrus exclaimed. "Why do I always have to hear you right when you start telling those horrible, horrible puns!?"

"Just lucky, I guess."

Papyrus gave a huff, shaking his head, and then he moved away to where Undyne had been oddly standing alone and silent. "Undyne…" The tall skeleton called quietly. She looked to him, turning to see him with her good eye. "Can…we go talk?" he asked. She nodded, and he took her hand, leading her off, much to everyone else's confusion.

They walked for a few minutes, before Papyrus found a place for them to rest. He wasn't sure what to please Undyne with when it came to surroundings, and thus, left it in the black. "What do you want to talk about?" Undyne mumbled; her arms folded.

"About earlier," he answered simply. "Undyne, you were obviously upset when the others were backing down, and I don't mean to intrude, but…it's hard to ignore other people's thoughts like this." Undyne stiffened. "Undyne…you wanted to save the beast monster just as much as Frisk did. Why was that?"

Whether if it was because of her erratic thoughts, or because he was close to her, Papyrus wasn't sure… However, he caught glimpses of memory from her, and saw a different beast monster. The one from her vision…the one that had taken her eye. "Because, if we could have saved it…then…I could have at least known there had been a chance for him as well."

Papyrus paused as her words sank in. "Him…Undyne—did you know that beast monster before they turned?"

Undyne looked away, resting a hand over her eyepatch. "How could I not…his aquatic form, the tuft of black hair that was still there…his green eyes…and his trade mark scars on his face." She gave a choked laugh. "…how could I not recognize my own father, even after he became so distorted?"

Papyrus's eyes widened, the realization catching him completely off guard. Y—your father…he…?"

She nodded solemnly. "Mother died when I was only a few years old…I guess I wasn't enough to save him from all his emotions. One day he…disappeared. Gerson took me in, and I started training with him and Asgore…then one day, on my way home…I found him, and he…" She shut her good eye.

"Gerson found me in time, but he got away. I didn't see him again until I was full grown. He was hiding in the depths of Waterfall, and so I…" She closed her fists so tight, that, if she had been living, Papyrus was certain she would have drawn blood. "…gave him the only mercy I could

"There's no hope for them, and then…Frisk…they wanted to try, and god damn it, did that punk try. I felt like we had come so close—though in the end, we hadn't change a single damn thing. I just…I dunno. If we could have saved that one, then that meant my father could have as well…after all…"

She trembled, her eye narrowing harshly. "We know he isn't at peace. The Abyss keeps him there until he can come to terms, but he's not allowed to be in his right mind. He's dead, but he'll never be at rest because he's a beast monster, and that was my only hope!"

She gave a strangled gasp as Papyrus drew her close, hugging her firmly. He sighed softly, as she stood rigid in his hold. "Honestly, you're as bad as the human. Hiding your hurt away like this…"

"What's it matter?"

"It matters a lot to me!" he exclaimed. "Undyne, you yell at Alphys for doing this, so it confused me that you then turn around and don't even listen to your own words. It is quite startling, I think!"

Undyne gently pushed him away, sighing. "I hate when you're right," she muttered.

"Why, I'm appalled, Undyne. How can you hate when someone else is right?"

There was a snort, and for a moment, she smiled. "God damn it, Papyrus. This is exactly why you weren't supposed to die."

"Huh?"

"You won't let anyone stay upset for long, will you?"

"Why would I? The Great Papyrus excels, and enjoys cheering up others!"

She shook her head and then leaned back, as if there were an unseen wall. Papyrus tilted his head, looking at her in concern. "Is there…something else troubling you?" he asked slowly.

"Maybe…" She shrugged. "I dunno…just…when we were resetting…Frisk… I wasn't surprised when they took it in stride. Like dying wasn't new. Heh, when I heard that they could do that, I figured they would have done it at some point for us to know that, but…

"When we fought the beast monster—they died almost every time there was a new attack. We barely made headway with each attempt because they don't have natural reflexes. Papyrus…their dodging is heavily reliant on memory…"

"And is there something wrong with that?" Papyrus asked.

She nodded. "Papyrus…tell me…" She looked at him. "I fought Frisk, sending numerous—and when I say numerous, I mean a lot—of attacks at them. There were a lot of rounds. So…Papyrus…how many souls could get pass me on their first try?"

Papyrus froze as her words sank in. He knew what she was suggesting, and the horrible part was that it…made sense. Undyne sank down, clutching her head. "Papyrus…how many times did we kill them? How many times did _I_ kill them!?"

"Undyne—"

"I'll never understand them!" she exclaimed. "How many of us have killed them, and they just—just! OH! That punk!"

"I forgive the human that killed me; they're likely the same way."

"You two are hopeless!"

"Eh!?"

"Undyne," a deep voice rumbled. The two jerked up in surprise to see that Asgore had finally found them. He looked to her quietly, and came over, kneeling down beside her, and still appearing massive despite it. "…I see you realized what likely happened in their resetting…" She nodded.

He looked to her kindly, and draped some of his cloak around her, drawing her close. "Undyne, Frisk bears no grudge. Whether it was a single death or one hundred…they believed they could get through to you, and in the end, they did."

"I don't understand," Undyne murmured. "How do you even deal with it, when you're sometimes aware of it?"

Asgore shrugged. "There really is no right way to it…but…I'll tell you now, do not blame yourself. You were acting according to what you knew, and Frisk has long since forgiven all of us for any harm we brought to them."

"How do you forgive someone who's killed you!?"

"Papyrus managed it."

"Other than Papyrus!"

"Why do I not count?"

Undyne groaned. "Because you're the only one I know who can forgive—whatever that human was without a second thought!"

"Now, now, Undyne," Asgore rumbled. "Papyrus and Frisk try to see the good in everyone. Perhaps Frisk saw our plight. That our attacks were to gain our freedom. It doesn't make it right, as they were still harmed in their journey, but…perhaps that can at least answer your question. They saw good in you, and in others, and that was why that it didn't matter to them if they fell."

Papyrus smiled. "Just like when they were fighting the beast monster, Undyne. It didn't matter to them. They're just the type to get back up and try again."

"…why am I surrounded by hopeless goobers?" she muttered to Asgore.

He laughed. "That's not something that can be helped. Just be grateful that it's endearing. Now…my child—"

"Asgore."

"My, _Captain of the Guard_ ," he corrected, his muzzle twitching with amusement. "How about you two come back with me? Alphys will start to worry if you're gone long."

"Mmm…"

"The Great Papyrus agrees to this, but only if Undyne feels that she is ready to return to the others!"

Undyne hesitated, and then nodded. "Yeah…I…I think we can go."

Papyrus smiled, and then offered out his hands to help the two to their feet.


	68. All that you Are

"Are you feeling alright, Blooky?" Mettaton asked as he worked at the computer in Alphys's lab.

"Oh…I'm fine," the ghost managed as they lay on the floor. "Just tired. I'll be fine if I rest for a bit and regain some magic…"

Mettaton nodded slowly. "I can't blame you…" He smiled. "…good job." He laughed as his cousin nearly vanished all together. "Blooky!"

"Oh no…"

"Accept a compliment, good grief!"

The ghost didn't reply for a full on minute, before finally reappearing. "So…" they mumbled. "What are you doing now…? Is it something for Muffet?"

He shook his head. "No, Felix is running some tests for that downstairs…I'm trying to see if I can improve my form."

"Why is that…?"

"When I was made, it was not intended for me to be in a serious battle," Mettaton replied. "I was an entertainment robot, not a combat one."

"But on television, when you fought Frisk—"

"That was only because I knew I'd be fighting them there. I had time to prepare. The disco ball, the bombs, all those other ranged attacks…that was only because I had time to set up because I knew where the fight would take place."

"Oh…I see…you can only rely on physical attacks when you don't have time to prepare."

"Technically, I have one ranged attack, but it puts my soul at risk, which I rather not do…"

"I rather you didn't risk that…"

"That's why I'm going through Alphys's files to see if I can't learn how to upgrade my form."

"What would you even do for an upgrade…?"

Mettaton shrugged. "Might be best to actually ask Alphys…when Frisk is in a good mood again…"

"They were pretty upset…"

"Unfortunately…" Mettaton sighed. "They weren't upset with you, though. Maybe in the morning, you could talk to them?"

"Me…?" The ghost faded in and out. "Oh, I don't know…I…I guess I can try…"

Mettaton smiled. "Thanks, Blooky. It'd be a great help—" He paused as a file flashed up on the screen. "What in the…?"

The ghost perked, and reluctantly got up. "What is it, Metta—oh…"

On the screen, were a set of blueprints for another robotic form. It looked similar to his own, though his form was heavily armored, and there was a weapon on his right arm that was a reminiscent of a canon. The hair style was different was well, with the hair swept back to fully reveal his face, so that it wouldn't obstruct his view in combat.

Though what caught his attention the most were the strange armor pieces on his shoulders that rose up to the point that they would almost pass his head. In the blueprints, they were shown to generate wings of energy.

Napstablook stared at it in awe, and then paused, looking at the title, before smiling. "Neo."

Without thinking, Mettaton looked to his cousin. "What?"

The ghost almost seemed to laugh. "Neo. That's what it's called."

Mettaton looked back, blinking in surprise. "Oh…" Neo…

"So…are you…?"

The robot gave a curt nod. The moment he could talk to Alphys, he'd figure out where to start with this. He wouldn't upgrade fully to that form, and he was debating if he even wanted the wings…though that did mean he could do more than hover a few feet, and could use aerial attacks…

Before he could put anymore thought into it, the elevator doors opened, and they turned to see Felix sliding out. "Boss!" he exclaimed as he turned, managing to not crash into anything. "Boss—this one worked!"

Mettaton abruptly stood with a smile, and then raced for the elevator; at least they might be able to fix something!

* * *

The next morning, Gerson had left the Royal's home, leaving Napstablook to watch over the fusion, and headed to Snowdin. Rex's parents hadn't appreciated their child coming home late, and the turtle decided that the kid didn't deserve being in trouble. So he ended up explaining what had happened, and that Rex had helped by getting other children out of harm's way.

Once that was all settled, he went to leave, but Rex stopped him on the porch. A minute later, they were sitting on the steps, with the reptile looking up at him in concern. "Yo…uh…is…is Frisk okay?" they asked quietly, tapping their feet. "They…they were pretty upset…"

"They're upset; they'll come around on their own time."

"But…Frisk said they had something to tell me…after that all ended…"

Gerson paused, looking back at the child, swiftly figuring out what Frisk wanted to say. "They probably mean it, but…I just don't know when they'll settle. Your best bet for now is to hope they come into Waterfall if you want to meet them, but I'll try to let you know if anything changes? Otherwise…unless you want to be on the receiving end of that storm…"

Rex shuddered, wildly shaking their head. "I never…I didn't even think they could be like that…they're usually so quiet…" They stared at the snow. "Normally I have to be listening to hear what they're saying…that time…I didn't think they could ever get mad, let alone…yelling like that…"

"We all have our limits," Gerson murmured. "Frisk just takes a good long while to reach theirs, and, to be fair, they've been going through a lot as it is, being the Ambassador and all. They're trying to make everyone happy, but…"

"They forget about themselves when they do that," Rex grumbled, practically pouting. Gerson couldn't help the smirk that crept onto his face.

"Heh, they always do. That's why there has to be someone to yank them back once in a while and remind them that they're a kid, and they deserve a break just like any other." Gerson slowly stood with a groan. "Good grief…" he muttered, and then looked to Rex. "Well, I'll see you around, you just take care."

"Right! And uh—yo…" They dipped their head. "Thanks for talking to my parents—I thought I was going to get grounded…"

The old warrior chuckled. "Not a problem…" With that, he headed off.

Back at the Royal's House, Napstablook poked their head through the door to Frisk's bedroom. They saw the child awake, staring blankly at the ceiling. "…Frisk…?"

They blinked, and turned their gaze silently to the ghost. Cautiously, the monster entered fully, and floated beside the child. "Um…" They smiled softly. "…do you…um…do you want to lay down and feel like garbage?"

"…sure…"

Napstablook quietly laid down beside them. For a little while, they didn't talk, though Frisk didn't practically mind, as it was soothing them. They lay there, feeling as if they were drifting within the universe. It wasn't until a while later, that Napstablook finally spoke. "…are you still mad…?"

"I'm unhappy…not mad…still…"

"Oh…well, that's better…" Napstablook came a little closer, sighing softly. "…you know…"

"…we didn't have a choice," Frisk mumbled. "Beast monsters can't be saved…"

"Trust me, we wish we could save them," Napstablook murmured. "It may not look it, or sound it…but I've been around a long time. I've seen…many beasts…some were strangers…some weren't."

Frisk paused, glancing to the quiet ghost. "Frisk…what we would _give_ to be able to save them. For lovers to be saved…for orphans to have their parents. Emotions are dangerous for us…if we become depressed…or even just lonely…do you know how easy it is to crush us?

"If there was the slimmest of chances, we would have gladly quarantined them, but…" Napstablook sighed. "I'm sorry that we didn't…that we couldn't…and so is Dogamy. He didn't want to do it anymore than you did. It's just…how it is right now. Does…that make sense? Oh no, I'm sorry, I think I just rambled to you—"

Napstablook paused as Frisk rolled onto their side, hugging them. "…I know…" they mumbled. "And…I'm sorry—I'll tell everyone I'm sorry, I just…I was so mad…I've saved so many others—even the Amalgamates, and they look a bit like beasts…I thought…I thought I could save them too…"

Napstablook drew them close with their magic. "I know…and we're grateful for that, we really are. It's been so long since anyone's tried…"

"I just wanted to do more…"

"…don't you think you've done enough?" Napstablook whispered. "You freed us, you saved what were otherwise lost souls…you've taken on so many responsibilities…Frisk…you don't have to keep given and sacrificing. Please…let us have a turn, let us return the favor. You're just…no, just isn't a good word, I'm sorry…"

"You're a little child," Napstablook murmured. "You deserve to enjoy that while you can. Before society puts other pressures on top of you. Please…you don't need to sacrifice all that you are for us. We can survive."

"…I'll think about it."

Napstablook sighed, but smiled, knowing they wouldn't. "Okay…"

* * *

Around noon, Dogamy jerked his head up from where he had been moping at the Royal's table. As a canine, he was overly friendly, and therefore, when something like this happened, he took it harder than most other monsters would. Honestly, he looked like a kicked and rejected puppy begging forgiveness, with the way he had been.

Frisk looked down the hall, seeing him at the table as Gerson came out of the kitchen, and Grillby followed, carrying a tray with tea. Frisk stopped as Mettaton entered the house, looking excited about something, but upon seeing Frisk, he held off, smiling to them, quietly holding a hand up in greeting.

Silently, Frisk repeated the gesture, and then shuffled into the dining room with the robot trailing them, and Napstablook fading into sight by the fire place that was now going due to Grillby's help.

The other monsters took a place to rest, with Gerson taking the chair by the fire, and the others settled at the table by Dogamy. Frisk fiddled with the knots on their wrists as they chose their words. "…about last night…all of you…"

' _I do mean all of you…_ ' they thought to the others.

"…I'm sorry…" they murmured, and then looked up to Dogamy. "And I'm sorry for yelling at you…you were just doing what was best for everyone else, and I got mad…I…" They shuffled over, trembling, and then lunged forward, hugging him as they buried their face into his side.

Dogamy froze as his mind processed what just happened. Once he confirmed it, he swooped the child into his hold, hugging them tight with an apologetic whimper, nuzzling them, and even licking their face—getting them to squeak in surprise, before trying to push his muzzle away. He stopped, but not before forcing a shrill laugh out of them.

Satisfied, he relented, adjusting them in his hold, before gently resting his head somewhat on theirs, mindful of their horns. Mettaton chuckled. "Well, glad that's settled."

Dogamy gave a soft grunt of agreement, but didn't move otherwise. Grillby looked up, his flames glowing gently. "Do you have something to say…?"

The robot chuckled. "On to monsters with words, aren't you?"

"Comes with the job. I always know when someone has something they want to say."

"Very well, I've got some good news to make up for that horrible mess from last night," the robot replied.

"And what would that be?" Gerson asked, folding his arms as he leaned back into the chair.

Mettaton smiled and strode over to Dogamy, kneeling down, and taking one of Frisk's lower hands. "As the lot of you in there know, I've been doing research on the issue, and, well…Felix was running tests last night, and…" He gave a dramatic wink. "I think, very soon, within the month even—I can at least give Muffet her body back."

Frisk's eyes snapped open wide, all four hands pulling back to cover their face in shock, while Grillby's flames grew suddenly. Mettaton drew back, grinning. "If I try to explain the long complicated mess, we'll all be confused. Basically, I figured a way to transplant her soul back without the risk of losing her. Of course, we have to prepare and so forth, and I'll be doing many calculations, but…very soon, I promise."

Frisk squealed, slipping out of Dogamy's hold, cheering—even if their own words got cut off by excited input made by the other souls residing within them, while Grillby's flames snapped and crackled merrily.

* * *

That afternoon though, Frisk snuck off to Waterfall to get some time to themselves. It wasn't long after that they heard familiar footsteps, though they didn't open their eyes, not until they spoke. "Yo…"

Slowly, dim colored orbs looked up to the reptile. They smiled, but it didn't quite reach their eyes. "Frisk…"

They nodded, scooting to give them a spot. They plopped down, flicking their tail. "You…you said you had some things to tell me…cause of what happened last night."

Frisk dipped their head. "Yeah…"

"So…yo…what did you mean? That I didn't…?"

"You're not going to believe me."

Rex dead-panned. "Yo, you're a fusion of human and monster souls that _died_ , I think I'll believe whatever it is at this point."

Frisk nodded. "I…can reset myself."

"…huh?"

"How to say it, um…I had this before I was a fusion. I can…die and come back—but when I do, I reset time to a certain point to try again."

Rex frowned. "Like a game…?"

"Like a game," they murmured, their expression darkening briefly.

"So…when time resets…?"

"Only certain people remember…trust me, if you were one of them, you'd know. Remember…when you had to protect me because I was hurt?"

Rex nodded. "Was that because you…reset?"

"Yes, but you have to understand…that didn't happen before. The problem is that the resets restore me fully…but the souls start transforming me right away…"

"Yo…that means…whenever that happens, then you died just a little while after…right?"

Frisk nodded, explaining the concept of saving, and how it worked overall. "You see," they murmured when they were done. "You don't have to worry about me. No ordinary means will ever kill me."

"No!" they exclaimed, hopping to their feet. "I don't care if you can't die like others! You can still hurt—you can still bleed!" They stomped a foot down. "Frisk, I want to protect you—maybe I can't protect your life like a normal person—but I will protect you all the same. Because you were on the ground, crying, and I know it hurt, and I don't want that to happen to you…and Frisk…"

Their voice wavered as they looked at the human with worry. "Frisk…it's only the first time you die, when I see you down. How do I know if you died just once…or…who knows how many? You remember all the resets—you go through that pain over and over." Their eyes narrowed. "I'm not letting that happen."

They lowered their head, pressing it against Frisk's. "I swear…I'm going to protect you, no matter what…I don't care about resets. I don't care if this is the first time I've said this, or the thousandth, for all I know…I just care about you, don't you get it?"

Frisk thought they did…but the other souls stirring said that maybe, Frisk didn't quite get it.

Not yet, at least…but one day…one day, the child would figure it out.


	69. You cannot Afford

That night, Frisk didn't find the others right away; instead, it was Gaster who found them. He seemed to glitch as he moved, lowering himself down beside them with an odd ease due to how his body seemed to move like liquid at times.

Frisk tilted their head in confusion, not understanding why he had come. There were strange warbling sounds as he settled, and then, finally spoke again. "How are you feeling now, little one?"

The child insisted that they were fine, but stopped as Gaster continued to stare at them. "Is that really so?" he questioned. Frisk stepped back in confusion, and he bowed low to be at their eye-level. "You've taken a little damage from that confrontation, and you haven't really recovered from it."

The child frowned, and insisted that they could heal their wounds. "Oh, certainly," the skeleton monster replied. "You can heal scrapes and bruises, broken bones, and burns. But…" He poked at their chest. "That other kind of damage, that's not so easily mended. I can feel it."

He rose to his full height. "Sans's words always has more impact than he realizes. He doesn't know how you view him as a role model. Nor does he understand that his opinions matter so much to you. He doesn't remember after all."

Frisk stomped their foot down, glaring at Gaster in irritation for bringing that up. Gaster shrugged, not bothered, as he knew no one would have heard. "The point of the matter is, Frisk, Sans doesn't realize that you have taken those words to heart."

He moved, suddenly behind them, causing them to whip around in a rush. "Just give up?" Frisk flinched, closing their fists tight. Gaster sighed. "He's said it before, and you defied him. Why is now any different?"

Frisk lowered their head, their thoughts going back to the beast they couldn't save. Gaster shook his head slowly. "I figured as much." He leaned over them again. "Child, focus on those you can save, and not the ones you could not. His words were not meant to hurt you so much, and you know that."

The child nodded, but didn't respond. "Frisk." Gaster came eye to eye with them, and Frisk squirmed. With his scarred face, his smile, and his odd eyes were beyond eerie, the darkness around them didn't help, as his attire caused him to blend into it. He tilted his head, and they took a step back.

"Do not let that break you," he warned. "Your determination cannot be allowed to waver, child. Not until everything is brought to a close. You cannot step down, give in, or let yourself fall. Remember, now. You cannot afford to not be determined. If you lose that will to fight for everything…it'll go away…"

His eyes narrowed. "And you would invite _them_ to have such power again." Frisk froze, realizing what he meant. "Do you understand? You cannot let those words bother you, until they no longer pose a threat."

Frisk looked down, and then nodded firmly, closing their eyes as they focused. Gaster relaxed, feeling their will—their determination returning back to its normal levels. So long as the child could hold onto this, they could eventually win.

The child opened their eyes, but jerked when they found that the mysterious monster had vanished once more. They looked down at their hands, and then back up. They had to push their other thoughts and feelings aside. They had to stay in control, for everyone's sakes.

* * *

Dogamy stepped into Grillby's the following day, looking around in surprise. The place was rather crowded, and the elemental seemed…stressed, as Dogamy could hear the faint crackles of flames, even from the doorway. The canine pushed his way through the crowd, mostly getting there due to his position as captain, than his sheer force.

"Grillby!" he called when he finally managed to get to the bar, though it wasn't the best place to be when everyone was grouping around it. "What's this all about?"

The elemental looked grateful to see him. "Remember what those monsters said the other night?"

"They're all here to talk to you!?"

"For one reason or another," he replied.

"Would…you like some help?"

"Please?"

Dogamy nodded, and managed to get around the bar, raising his voice over the clamor, offering to help if someone had actual problems. It took a while, but between the two of them, they managed to answer questions and provide solutions—or in Grillby's case, some were just there to praise him, and/or encourage the idea that he should step up to the role of a stand-in King.

Sometime that afternoon, the place was finally empty, with Dogamy resting his head on the bar with a moan. "It's amazing how fast word spreads around here…"

Grillby nodded. "…I didn't think so many would encourage the idea…"

"Me neither—not because you wouldn't be good at it, it's just…surprising that they're pouncing on the idea so energetically…what do you want to do though?"

"I'm not sure…we do need some form of actual leadership for this kingdom to run, however…"

"You rather it wasn't you?"

"I'm not a talker."

"You are when the situation calls for it," Dogamy reasoned. "But I can see your hesitance…it's a lot to take on. And we have no idea for how long you'd take up the role. After all, it's coming up on a year as is, and we only just figured out how to get Muffet back. That still leaves everyone else in that nice little mess they made."

Grillby nodded. "And that's…not something I know well. What you always praise me for…it's just instinct. It's just something said or done in the heat of the moment."

"Isn't that every moment for an elemental like you?"

"…please leave those jokes to Sans…" Though there was a slight trace of amusement in his voice.

Dogamy chuckled. "Fine. However, we'll be around to back you up if you do take the role," the canine assured. "Gerson especially. He knows quite a bit, and as a Captain, I'm kinda supposed to be around whoever our leader is."

The elemental nodded. "I am thinking about it, and I don't intend to back out…but…"

"You wouldn't complain if there was someone else?"

"Not in the slightest."

* * *

When Frisk went to the lab to see how things were going, they tuned in on the conversation the other souls were having. Very swiftly, they heard Toriel's voice. _'Isn't this wonderful, Muffet? You might be back to normal very soon.'_

 _'I would enjoy that very much,_ ' the spider murmured. ' _Though I do wish that they knew how to free the rest of you. It feels dreadfully awful to leave all of you here.'_

 _'Do not fret about us,'_ Toriel stated softly. ' _We can hold on. You have your way out. Take it…'_

Sans chuckled. _'Besides, Frisk would appreciate having one less person giving them a headache.'_

' _Says the one who is the root of about half of them,'_ Papyrus grumbled.

Sans seemed about ready to reply, but then thought better of it, as it would only prove his brother's point.

' _The others are right though,'_ Undyne replied, seeming to be more like her usual self. ' _We can handle it. Even this awesome nerd!'_

' _U—Undyne!'_

There was a rumble of amusement. ' _Undyne, are you trying to break her?'_

There was a pause. ' _…but she's adorable when she's flustered…_ '

' _UNDYNE!_ ' Frisk gasped, clutching their head at the sudden exclamation. They loved the souls dearly…but they liked not having headaches as well…

' _All right, everyone settle,_ Toriel called. ' _We do not need another headache right now. Gerson isn't here to fix it…'_

' _Where is Gerson, anyways?'_ Undyne asked. ' _I haven't seen him much over the past few days…_ '

' _I think he's been going to the city,'_ Asgore rumbled. ' _For what exactly, I don't know.'_

' _P—probably to talk to the humans about what happened,'_ Alphys replied.

' _Wouldn't he at least want a shortcut?'_ Sans asked.

' _Gerson would never ask for a shortcut even if his life depended on it,'_ Undyne replied. ' _He's got way too much pride to ask for that.'_

' _Maybe,'_ Sans replied. ' _Or maybe he doesn't want us knowing what he's doing._ '

' _Hey!'_ Undyne snapped. ' _What are you even saying!?_ '

Sans shrugged. ' _I'm not saying he's up to no good. Relax. I'm just saying he's up to something. Wouldn't the humans want to talk to us, before any other monster anyways? Frisk is the Ambassador, after all…_ '

' _William seems to be a reasonable leader,_ ' Asgore rumbled. ' _Perhaps he decided that asking Gerson would be enough.'_

' _William is reasonable, at least,'_ Toriel murmured. ' _But the other humans…'_

' _Right,_ ' Sans replied, and Frisk felt an odd aura coming from his soul, and they covered their left eye as it started to glow brighter. ' _The other humans would want Frisk to come up an explain what happened in the city._ '

' _But, brother!_ ' Papyrus exclaimed. _Why would the humans assume it was us? Why would we even want to have beast monsters hurting their city?_

Before anything else could be said, Frisk jerked their attention to Mettaton. "So I was wondering, Darling," he continued. "Could I speak to Alphys about something?"

There was a pause, as Frisk stepped back, and let the reptile come forth. The change was obvious as the way they held themselves altered to a much meeker stance. "…I'm here…"

Mettaton smiled slightly, and then turned. "I was doing some research the other night—haven't gotten to it for a while due to everything we're doing for Muffet—but since we're waiting for results again, I thought now would be a good time to ask." With that, he drew up the NEO form. "What is this?"

"Oh—oh! You—you found that…oh dear, oh dear, I'm sorry, it was just—when you wanted a form—"

"Alphys—"

"I ended up drawing a whole bunch of other things—mostly for fun—"

"Alphys…"

"Or maybe because I was thinking about what would happen if you did something superheroish—or some anime thing, and so it was just for fun."

"Alphys."

"I'm sorry, please don't take it seriously—"

"ALPHYS!"

The fusion gave a jump and looked nervously up. "Y—yes…?"

Mettaton shook his head, a laugh escaping him. "Good grief, Alphys. It's fine. Honestly, I was wondering…" He pointed at the wings and the canon. "Do you think I could incorporate those into this form?"

"Wait—what!?"

"I'm needed for combat," Mettaton reasoned. "This is obviously a form meant for fighting."

"I just drew it up for fun, I'm not sure—"

"Is there a chance?"

"Yes…in theory."

"Then, I'll take it," Mettaton murmured. "My physical strength isn't always going to cut it. The beast monsters took a lot of physical attacks from me…"

The fusion nodded and moved over to the computer. "Well…if we start here, maybe we can figure out something…after all, I did make it possible…I just didn't put a whole lot of thought into it…"

' _Frisk, you wouldn't mind if I took over for a while…?_ '

The former human assured that it was fine, opting to retreat and initiate a game with the brothers and Undyne. Mettaton paused as the fusion put a hand to their head. "Is everything okay, darling?"

"Yes, just getting a little rowdy—nothing I can't handle, really…"

With that, the two started working together, as Alphys pointed out the things that could be easily changed, and what methods they'd have to use to incorporate some of the other features, without transforming him completely. Alphys even mentioned a way to make his hair sustain two styles so that it could be out of his eyes in battle, but then back to normal once it was done.

Mettaton raised a hand to his face and nodded, grateful for the option.

* * *

At the end of the day, Frisk took a short cut to the Royal's Home, pausing as they caught the scent of food. They followed their nose to the kitchen, stopping in the entry way, somewhat surprised to see Grillby quietly working in the kitchen, talking to Gerson. Frisk ducked back out, but then opted to continue listening.

"Really consider it, huh?" Gerson asked as he leaned against the far wall.

Grillby nodded, his flames flickering. "We don't have our King—not in the natural sense anyways." Asgore perked within Frisk's mind. "Asgore cannot come forth to soothe the monsters…and if they're turning to me…" Grillby sighed, and Frisk could hear him cutting something with a bit more force. "Who am I to say no?"

"Then," the turtle murmured. "Why are you here talking to me?"

"…I'm going to need advice…a lot of it. Maybe I can lead a little group when need be…but a kingdom?"

"Granted, that is a little different," the turtle agreed with some amusement. "What do you want to know…?"

"Everything?"

"Well, that's specific," the turtle snickered.

"That's not helping," the elemental accused.

The turtle gave a snort. "Fine, I'll go over it later, Kid's gonna be home soon. I'm sure they'll be exhausted."

' _Perhaps…we could help that conversation, Tori…_ ' Asgore rumbled.

' _I agree,_ ' Toriel replied. ' _Frisk?_ '

"Tomorrow…" the child mumbled. The boss monsters consented, but Grillby turned in surprise, hearing them.

"Frisk?" he called. Gerson perked as the fusion came forth, waving a little. "…were you listening in on us?" Frisk shrugged sheepishly.

"…M…Toriel and Asgore said they wouldn't mind talking to you—tomorrow, if you…are going to…do whatever that is."

Grillby paused, and then knelt down. "I would be most grateful," he assured.

Frisk smiled a little, and then glanced to the turtle monster. "Grandpa Gerson…where have you been?"

The turtle smirked and came over, ruffling their hair between the horns. "That's a surprise. I promise to tell you in a few days. But this reminds me…ended up talking to William while I was down there. We kinda need to talk to him about all this."

' _Called it,_ ' Sans interjected.

Frisk nodded. "Had a feeling…what was he like?"

"Mostly concerned about the whole thing. I saw him in passing because he's still going around trying to make sure the city can handle all the damage."

"I see…well…guess there's no choice…tomorrow, I'm guessing."

"The sooner, the better…"

Frisk looked up to the elemental, stepping forward and grabbing his hand. "Don't worry. If you come with us, you can give this a try with a little back up."

Their mannerisms changed again. "Do you think you're up for it?"

Grillby nodded. "The sooner I know what I'm doing, the better off we'll all be."

Something akin to a chuckle escaped the fusion. "…good."


	70. Keep it that Way

Chara glanced to the elemental that sat behind the bar of his currently closed tavern. They floated over, and prodded his arm. He looked up. "Yes, Chara?" he questioned softly. They didn't have Napstablook around, but Chara had made a rudimentary way of communicating through the brightness of their form, and vague motions.

They tilted their head, their form dimming drastically. Grillby sighed. "I'm all right; just a lot is on my mind. I'm sure while you were hiding in the jukebox; you were hearing the commotion from customers."

Chara nodded, and then sat on the bar, a questioning look upon their vague features. "You're wondering what I plan to do?" They nodded. "Simple. Take the role." Chara seemed to frown, their form brightening harshly for a few moments.

The child wasn't so sure of the idea. They knew what the role of a King could do. While they were only vaguely aware of things that happened after their death—their time sharing Flowey's form told them what happened to Asgore in his position of King. He was run ragged, and lost a part of himself to the role after the two had been slain.

Chara's form dimmed, and they looked down. The elemental was already weary, and he hadn't even completely taken the position. This monster…they didn't want him run ragged by the role of a leader, or to lose a bit of himself in the process. Chara was in no condition to lose more than they already had at this point.

The child jerked as they felt the monster's magic come around their soul and draw them close. Every time he did that, they tensed, despite knowing that the elemental had no intention of absorbing them. It was just his way of drawing them over, due to a lack of a corporeal form. They came in arm's reach, and he drew an arm around them.

"I'll be fine, Chara," he assured. "I'll have help from the others; even the King and Queen offered their help through Frisk. I'll manage, and it's not like it'll be forever. Eventually, we'll fix things, and I can step down."

Chara didn't have that optimistic view on things. They knew from the situation, that Muffet had a chance of coming back, but the others…while monsters had managed to fine and collect their dust in the days after the fight; it wasn't like they could magically reform the bodies.

It would take a miracle, and even if Frisk was good at defying things like that, even they had a limit, and Chara was sure they had already reached it—and were just too stubborn to acknowledge that the fusion was the closest they'd ever have with having their family back. The ghost grumbled silently, and then latched onto the elemental's arm.

"Um…" He slowly raised his arm, watching the child continue to dangle from it. "…what are you doing?"

Chara was using a method they and Asriel had done whenever Asgore wanted to leave or do something they didn't like. They'd latch onto his arm, voicing their complaints. Though just like Grillby, Asgore had no trouble lifting his arm, even when children clung to the limb. They dimmed as they sighed, realizing they had no method of stopping the elemental.

Grillby seemed to catch on, and lightly chuckled. "Am I seeing a soft side?"

The ghost instantly released him, and dove into the jukebox, causing him to laugh out right. "You can't hide in there forever," he called after them. "You do have to eat some time." Ghosts of all sorts still needed to sustain their energy, even if it went down slowly. Thankfully, ever since the attack, Napstablook had been making plenty of food exclusive to ghosts.

The elemental stood, intending to go over to the Jukebox to coax the child back out, but a knock stopped him. He paused, and turned. "The door's unlocked!" he called. The door opened, and to his surprise, he found Emberno, Calida, and Fiona.

"Uncle Grillby!" His niece rushed over swiftly, hugging him as he came to the front of the bar. "I'm so sorry we didn't come sooner!"

"It's all right, I'm fine."

Calida stepped forth. "Is it true? About the beast monsters?"

Grillby's flames dimmed. That's why her parents came. "Yes, somehow, there was a whole pack of them. We were able to take down the majority, but we're not certain of how many there were, so there could still be quite a few roaming outside of the city for all we know."

Emberno nodded slowly. "I see…have you talked to the humans since?"

"No, but we'll be going down there today to talk about the incident."

Calida's gaze swiftly went to Grillby's. "Then let the two of us come," she stated firmly.

"Pardon—?"

She folded her blue flamed arms. "Emberno and I are some of the few remaining hunters. If we talk to the human, perhaps he will allow the two of us to search for these beasts without hindrance."

"I…I'll ask the others, but…I don't see why they would say no to you coming." Calida nodded, and then turned, going to the door.

"I'll head back and start preparing things for if the human accepts. Fiona, would you be a dear?"

"Oh, sure!" Fiona rushed after her mother, soon leaving Grillby and Emberno in the tavern.

Grillby's flames moved oddly as he studied the other elemental. "Shouldn't you be going with them?"

"I should," he agreed. "But not until we talk."

"It's certainly been a while," Grillby replied, a lone snap in his flames was enough to give away his irritation on that matter.

"I know…"

"And?" Grillby asked.

Emberno folded his arms, taking a while to think about it, unsure of what he really wanted to say. Then, he shrugged. "You didn't have to apologize, I suppose. You were right with most matters."

"Most?"

"…all of them."

"And?" Grillby questioned again.

"…we've been fixing the matters."

"So I've gathered from Fiona. That's what matters in the end," the elemental murmured.

"And what did you mean by her running to you?" Emberno questioned.

"She was a bully target throughout middle school," Grillby replied. "Don't worry." For a brief moment, one swore there was a smile in Grillby's flames—or perhaps it was a smirk of prideful amusement. "I took care of it."

"…that worries me."

Grillby chuckled. "If you're trying to say sorry—then you've been forgiven. Fiona's happy—now keep it that way."

* * *

That afternoon, William met the other two elementals for the first time. He seemed slightly confused, but otherwise, he offered them all a seat in what Grillby thought of as a very oversized office. The desk took a small center of the room. Honestly, he figured children could play tag in the room, and never get in the way of anything.

"Glad to see the lot of you are all right," William replied. "It's been rather quiet—aside from Gerson poking his head in," he said as he looked to the turtle.

"Had to show some life signs," the turtle assured. "Sorry that I didn't really talk much except in passing. I had other things to tend to."

William waved the concern aside, and then breathed out softly. "I just want to get straight to the point. When I spoke with Dogamy," he said as he glanced to the canine. "You seemed to have an idea as to…what those were."

"I did," the canine assured.

Before he could say more, Grillby interjected. "However, what I want to know is why there were so many of them in that government area. It sounds like they had been kept there."

William paused, and then ruffled through the papers on his desk. "They were," he admitted. "They were all put in there before my time, according to all of this."

"What else does it say?" the canine questioned.

The human combed through the papers, skimming for what he wanted. "Well, the facilities have been around for some hundreds of years—of course, always being updated with time. They looked a lot different back then. The point is that these things were spotted rarely in the past eight hundred years. Usually they were killed on sight, but once there was a place to contain them, and the curiosity to study them…"

"You started rounding them up," Mettaton surmised.

"Oh dear…that was really dangerous," Napstablook moaned.

"So…what are they, then?" William asked.

Everyone glanced to each other uncertainly, and Gerson sighed. "Telling you what they are isn't going to be pleasant, and could lead to issues later on…but not telling you will definitely have the same result." With that, Gerson explained how monsters were tied to their emotions, and that, over time; with enough negative emotions…

"…you're telling me they used to be monsters?" Gerson nodded. "And you can't save them from that?" Frisk flinched.

"Afraid so," the turtle murmured. "Many monsters, over the years, have tried to find ways to reverse the transformations or to at least give them their former state of mind back so that they aren't relying fully on instincts…"

"But there was never any breakthrough," Napstablook finished.

"Curiously," Dogamy murmured. "What was it about the beast monsters that even attracted a human's attention? Why not just take them down?"

"According to the reports of study…" William started. "They never ate or slept, or age. Researchers wanted to see if they could take some of that to apply to things like having humans with longer endurance and lifespans…didn't work out, but they still kept the creatures to study. Such as, if there is prey, they work together, but…"

"Once there was no prey, they'd turn on each other," Gerson surmised. "Trust me, anything you'd ever need to know about that, we have the answers to."

"How easy is it to become one of those?" William asked.

"It's not an overnight thing," Gerson assured. "We're more likely to die of the emotions, than we are to transform. Usually, it's only when a monster secludes themselves that it even happens at all…" Napstablook became transparent at that.

"What confuses me," Mettaton murmured. "Is that they were able to find Beast Monsters within eight hundred years or so. That was after the barrier was set up."

"That's true," Dogamy replied. "Beast Monsters couldn't break through that."

Gerson sighed. "Shame…" He looked to them, shaking his head. "Almost no living monster would remember, but there used to be nomadic tribes."

"Huh?" Napstablook asked, while the elements tilted their heads curiously.

"I mean there used to be groups of monsters that would travel around. They might only come back into this area every two hundred years or so for the sake of short life-span monsters getting to see the kingdom."

Grillby raised his head. "So you're saying some of those tribes were nowhere near Ebott when the war started?"

Gerson nodded. "They were the lucky ones. By the time some of them were coming around again, the chance of humans recognizing them as much wouldn't be so bad. Though, likely over the years, their numbers dwindled, and others, through other means, likely started to turn."

"That makes sense," Calida murmured. "Overtime, the separation and their lowering of emotions would have eventually caused such transformations."

Emberno turned. "Sir, how many beast monsters were in that building?"

"According to the reports…twenty seven."

"How many were killed?"

"…not twenty seven," Grillby replied. "At most, we only took down half that amount."

Emberno nodded slowly. "Sir," he repeated as he kept his gaze on William. "My wife and I are beast hunters. If you would allow us, we could hunt down the rest of them. They need to be put out of their misery before they hurt anyone else."

Within their mind, Frisk felt Undyne respond negatively to the elemental, before burying herself away.

William nodded. "With humans staying inside for a while after that mess, you shouldn't have too much to worry about. However, I'll let Michael and some of his men accompany you to make sure you're safe."

"We'll handle the beast monsters after that point," Calida assured. "We just need to find them without worry."

"Then I'll start arranging things, but it seems, with your help, we'll be smoothing things out very swiftly."

"That's good," Mettaton assured, before perking.

"Mettaton?" Grillby questioned.

The robot smiled. "My calculations say the research in the lab should be done…so I hope this meeting doesn't take too much more of our time."

* * *

Frisk fidgeted as Gerson held them still. "Easy, Neck-Warmer."

"Sorry," Frisk managed, clenching all four hands tight. They were down in the True Lab, sitting on the table next to Muffet. There were machines all around the room now, and both Muffet and Frisk were hooked up to them, and the child hardly appreciated it.

There was a constant beeping from the heart monitors, as Napstablook and Felix moved around, making sure that everything was set up. "Things are all set up here, Boss," the feline called.

"Thank you, Darling," Mettaton replied as he stood fully. "I'll give everything a final scan, and then…we should be good."

Gerson tilted his head. "Neck-Warmer…?"

"I saved," they assured. They weren't risking it! Even though Alphys worked with Mettaton to make sure it would all work, the souls within were on edge, as anything could end up going horribly wrong with the soul transplant, due to just how fragile monster souls were.

Grillby looked over in concern where he stood by Muffet's side. Then, his gaze fell back to the spider's form, who barely managed to breathe. It was miracle, that after nearly a year, the fragile human soul still kept her body sustained.

Mettaton finally came back, looking to Frisk. "All right, Darling. Everything looks like it's in order. Now, what will happen is that these machines will detect a purple magic soul, like Muffet's and take it. The process will be very swift—and her soul will be kept safe. Trust me, if I explained it, only Alphys will have the foggiest idea of what I mean."

"Only problem is," Felix murmured. "What happens to the kid? I mean, those extra arms were provided when they absorbed her soul, right?"

"That was an issue that came up," the robot replied quietly.

"It's okay," Frisk stated softly. "Even if the arms become limp, or disappear, I'll manage…" It couldn't be as painful as transforming all at once.

"Right," Mettaton clapped his hands. "All right, it's a little crowded. I'll handle the machinery. Gerson, you stay by Frisk, Grillby, stay by Muffet. Everyone else, get back out."

The others complied, and Frisk watched as the robot started powering things up. A nervous tremor ran through them and the other souls, and Frisk shut their eyes, focusing on Muffet as the energy of the machines began to hum loudly.

One moment, they and the others could clearly sense her, then, she seemed to flicker—and without further warning—she vanished from their senses. An instant later, pain came, and Frisk stared crying as their upper arms clenched down on their lower ones. Gerson hugged them close as the lower limbs swiftly receded.

Frisk kicked and screamed, thrashing as the pain tore through them. Thirty seconds later, it dulled away into an ache, and then, they let out a shaky breath, sinking into Gerson's hold, breathing heavily.

Grillby looked down at Muffet, not even noticing as his hand took hers. Did it work…?

The spider breathed…stronger than before. Grillby practically went still as her fingers twitched. Her eyes started to flutter open, and on reflex, her hand closed firmly around his. Another breath, even stronger than the last one, as her eyes fully opened.


	71. Soothe the Mind

Muffet gave a soft groan as she wearily opened her eyes fully. Her vision slowly focused, and she managed a faint smile, her fangs appearing as she did so. "…Afternoon, Sir…" she greeted.

Grillby brightened as a sound of relief came over him. Though, Mettaton was beside him a mere moment after that. "Let me scan her," he insisted, his eyes glowing as he looked the spider monster over. "Overall, everything looks fine, but she should stay overnight, just to make sure."

"Not what I had in mind," Muffet murmured tiredly, not liking the idea of staying in the lab that long, but knew she was in no position to argue over it.

"I'm sorry, Darling," Mettaton replied. "But this is the first time we've ever…done this. We don't know what could happen. It's best to keep you overnight to make sure everything's settled and we aren't about to lose you."

Grillby's flames dimmed with concern as Muffet turned her head, too tired to really move. "I'll manage," she replied. "I don't think I could leave on my own right now, anyways." Her fingers twitched, but for now, moving her limbs seemed to be far more difficult than it should have been.

"Your soul likely has to 'resynchronize' with your body," Mettaton replied. "You were gone from it for nearly a year." Muffet shuddered at that. A whole year…she was fortunate that her body had remained sustained for so long…that's right…something felt different, but she was too tired to piece things together.

Grillby leaned closer. "If there anything you need?" he asked gently. He still hadn't released her hand, but she wasn't complaining. It was chilly in the lab, and his natural warmth was welcoming.

Muffet knew if she said no, he was just going to fret anyways, so, she decided to satisfy him. "…well, I technically haven't had a meal of my own in months, Sir…"

He rose, his other hand resting over hers as he nodded. "I'll remedy that as swiftly as I can."

"Hmm," Mettaton murmured. "We need to invest in a kitchen here. You're free to use the kitchen at my resort if you wish. It's just an elevator ride away, and you won't have to worry about the water."

"But is there anything edible in the kitchen?" Felix asked.

Mettaton twitched. "Well…I'll remedy that with a phone call. I may not be on air right now, but I still have a bit of a sway." He looked over Muffet again, and then at Frisk. He smiled, and came over. "You'll be okay," he assured the fusion. Frisk smiled weakly, but was obviously a bit worn out from having to deal with losing Muffet's soul.

"Safe to unhook the kid from your contraptions then?" Gerson asked.

"It's safe," Mettaton replied.

Gerson set to work on freeing the child from it, and then placed them on his shoulders. "Come 'ere, Neck-Warmer…anything you want to make up for that?"

Felix glanced up. "Why don't you go get them some Nice-Cream?" Frisk perked in surprise, asking if he knew the rabbit monster. Felix chuckled. "Know him? Practically grew up with the guy. Can't tell a joke to save his life, but he's a good friend of mine. Tell him I sent you."

"Know where he might be?"

Felix shrugged. "Somewhere in Hotlands, I'm sure someone will know. His stuff sells best here." Frisk gave a hum of agreement, as Gerson finally headed off with the worn out child.

Grillby glanced back to Muffet. "Well…"

She smiled. "Better get going, Sir. I'll be fine."

"If you're sure…"

"I'll be more fine if I had food," she mentioned with a slight laugh.

"Right!" With that, he was gone. Muffet sighed in relief, closing her eyes, letting sleep claim her.

"So," Gerson murmured as he walked. "How you feelin', Neck Warmer?"

"Better…" Frisk replied.

"Still hurting?"

"Nuh-uh…it stopped just afterwards…"

"That's good to hear," the turtle replied. "…and how's everyone in your head?"

Frisk was quiet for a moment. "They're fine…not so crowded."

Gerson huffed in amusement. "That's not saying much. You've still got…how many now? Six? Seven?"

"Something like that," Frisk replied vaguely.

"Heh…on the bright side, maybe you won't need my medicine so often…"

"Not so sure…"

"What makes you say that?" the turtle asked.

"…Sans and Papyrus are both still in my head, and Sans loves puns."

 _'Hey!'_ Sans jokingly complained. _'I'm not that bad.'_

There was a chorus of disagreement. _'…okay, so maybe I am,'_ he replied in amusement.

Gerson snickered at the comment. "Well, might find a solution to that. Would you be up to teleporting after ice cream?"

Frisk tilted their head in confusion, and then nodded. "Sure. Why are we going to the city though?"

"Been talking with Lalida over the past while," Gerson replied. "Other than that, can't tell you."

"Grandpa," Frisk whined in complaint as he gave a snort.

"Oh, look. Nice Cream," he said, pointing forward to get their attention off him.

Frisk jerked their head up excitedly, and called forth, waving. The blue rabbit's ears twitched and he turned, smiling and returning the wave. "Well, what can I do for you?" he asked, his energy vibrant.

The child couldn't help the smile that got plastered on their face. Once the rabbit had things selling, he always seemed happy, and it was honestly quite contagious. Frisk asked for some Nice Cream, grabbing some gold coins out of their inventory…and making note that they had to figure out how to get another source of income at the rate they were spending things…

There was always Dog Residue and the Temmie Shop, at least…the rabbit smiled, taking the gold. "And here's your Nice Cream!"

Gerson chuckled, as Frisk took it. "So…you know a cat monster named Felix?"

The rabbit perked, and smiled. "He's practically a little brother to me. You know, the kind that you love, but they always get themselves into trouble." Frisk snickered at that, and the three talked for a bit, before Frisk finished their treat, and decided to find a spot to take a short cut.

* * *

"It's so good to see you again!" Lalida exclaimed as she lowered herself to Frisk's height, smiling happily. "You need to show up and spend a whole day here without some incident happening." Frisk questioned if they were okay after everything that _had_ been happening.

"Oh, we're fine, dear," Lalida assured. "Those…things weren't too interested in our older bones."

"Or maybe they were warded off by your experiments," Henry called from the kitchen.

Lalida put a hand to her chest dramatically. "Henry! You wound me!"

"Then stop making hell-spawn."

"Oh, the nerve of men," Lalida muttered, putting her hands on her hips.

Gerson chuckled. "Regardless…how is it?"

"It's ready," the woman assured. "I had to work on some finishing touches—so it's a good thing you didn't come any earlier, really."

The turtle smiled. "We were delayed by unexpected news, but all's well. Better than usual, even."

"That's good, that's good," Lalida replied. "Henry, can you bring it here?"

"I'm a coming," he assured. Sure enough, he came around, holding a small box in his hands. "'Ere you are…"

Lalida smiled, taking it, and offering it to Frisk. "A gift, that your Grandpa and I had been working on over the past week or so…"

"It involved explosions," Henry added.

"Shush, dear."

Frisk giggled, and then opened the box, pausing, before lifting out what looked like a tiara. The metal work was simplistic, but still nice, but upon it was a gem. It reminded Frisk of the ones in Gerson's cave. Frisk couldn't say for sure what color it was, for whenever they turned it, the light and angles would change its color constantly. Red, blue…green, white, and in the dark, one might say it was gray or black.

"Hope you like tiaras," Henry said. "They weren't sure what else to put on you."

"They sometimes wear jewels around the base of their horns," Gerson replied. "So, I assumed…"

Frisk questioned why they made the tiara at all. It couldn't have been to just give them a gift. "No," Lalida replied. "It wasn't just to be nice—though it did end up looking well, honestly, I wouldn't mind having it myself."

"Don't let her, the idea of power will go straight to her head," her husband assured.

"Henry!" she scolded.

Gerson chuckled. "The gem was something my wife found a long time ago. She was good with that kind of thing. Many gems she found could have abilities if used right. This one helped soothe the mind when worn on something like a tiara. However, on its own, it would only do so much, and you have a strange case so…"

Lalida clapped her hands. "So I did research to find chemicals that could help enhance its magical abilities so that it can, more or less, let you actually have some thoughts to yourself."

Frisk perked at the idea, but then questioned what that would entail for the others. "As I calculated," Lalida murmured. "They shouldn't suffer any consequences. Their minds are just being separated—cut off from yours. This way, you can actually go about your day without them causing you headaches now and again."

That was a plus…Frisk felt everyone looking at Sans and Undyne, who were usually the root of said headaches. "What I'm saying is, no ill effects."

"Want to try it on now, and see what it does?" Gerson asked.

Frisk hesitated, but the others insisted it was okay to try. Worst that would happen would be a reset. …Frisk couldn't think of anything worse than that in general, now that it hurt to do such things. Still, they took it, putting it on, listening to the quiet murmurs of the others—and then nothing.

Frisk gasped in surprise. Even when the others were being quiet—Frisk could sense them, but this…this was like…being normal again. Though, because this was only a mental block, the souls still resided in them, thus, all their oddities remained. The horns did not recede, their eyes did not revert back to red…but…they couldn't feel the magic, either.

Or, they could, but it required great focus to even notice it. This meant that if Frisk needed the magic, they had to take off the tiara to communicate with the souls who hosted the magic in the first place.

"It's…quiet…" Frisk murmured. "…it's so weird now, to just have one voice…"

Gerson chuckled. "Well, it'll help you get used to being normal again when we figure out how to fix this little issue."

Frisk nodded, and then removed the tiara, closing their eyes to focus. The presence of the others came back in, like they were hidden in a thick fog. The child questioned how they were.

' _Don't worry, Bud,_ ' Sans assured.

' _It was as if a veil came around you!_ ' Papyrus exclaimed. ' _We were all still together and aware of one another…but you, we couldn't get a focus on._ '

' _Yeah,_ ' Undyne agreed. ' _We can't sense what you're doing either. It's kinda like being in your dreams, really. Just, you're not joining us._ '

' _On the b—bright side, at least you c—can have some privacy from us…'_ Alphys stammered. Frisk appreciated the fact very much.

' _While it is a little worrisome to not know what's going on…_ ' Asgore rumbled.

' _We trust you to take the tiara off when you need to,'_ Toriel finished.

Frisk beamed, and then drew their focus back on the real world. "It's good," they assured happily. "It doesn't bother them at all!"

Lalida clapped her hands together happily. "Well, I'm glad that worked out! After all that work, it would have been a dreadful shame if it hadn't."

"See, Lalida?" Henry asked. "Why can't you do this kind of thing? Even if there are explosions, you don't create hell spawn out of this stuff."

Gerson smirked. "Just give her time."

Frisk and the souls within began laughing at the remark. "Grandpa Gerson!"

"What?"

"You're being mean!"

"That so…"

"YES!"

"Oh well."

"Grandpa!"

* * *

Muffet didn't open her eyes to find the lab. In fact, she found herself standing on webs in Hotlands, right by her parlor. She blinked in confusion to focus on the familiar sight of a little human stuck in her webs. Wait…

She gasped, drawing her attacks back. "Dearie! Frisk!" Instantly, she let the webs detangle, hopping off her web. The little human turned, and that was when Muffet realized that some things weren't adding up.

One, Frisk was fully human here…two, it didn't make sense why they were fighting…three…Muffet veered back as a knife swung in the air, barely missing her. The spider stumbled away, raising a hand to have a net come between them. "Frisk!"

The human staggered—stumbling around on the webs, as if about to fall. They veered away from her, clutching their head, whimpering, before they'd clench their weapon tight, and turn at her in a way that was nothing like the child she knew.

The spider monster found herself confused. "…Frisk…?" This wasn't adding up. "Frisk, Dearie, what's wrong? Put the weapon down." Their hands shook, but their blade remained firmly in their grip. However, there seemed to be an obvious confliction in the child's eyes as the spider monster tried to talk them down.

They stepped back…before suddenly changing, lunging forward and slashing at the net, causing it to fall away. The child looked ready to lunge at her, but stopped short of actually shooting forward. They dropped to their knees, crying as they tugged at their hair, shaking their head furiously.

Nervously, Muffet approached them. "Dearie…? …Dearie?" She stepped forward, reaching out with a hand. The human was fast—too fast. Muffet screeched as the blade dug into her forearm, causing a long gash.

She reeled away, clutching the now bleeding limb, her fingers on that arm twitching erratically as the pain shot through her. The child stared in horror, dropping the blade as they stumbled away, covering their mouth as tears escaped. This wasn't right…this wasn't making sense. Muffet bit her lip, trying to make sense of this as the blood pooled over the fingers of her other arm that was trying to clutch the wound efficiently.

The child dropped onto their knees, crying. Muffet watched them worriedly as they sobbed out apology after apology. "…F…Little One?" she called quietly. That…this wasn't Frisk…something wasn't adding up when she thought of them as such. No…this child seemed…broken.

They looked at her as she took a step forward, and then screamed, begging for her—pleading for her to get away. Their jerked, limbs quivering as they clutched at their head again, screaming for something to go away.

Their pupils dilated, and they dove, grabbing for the knife. Muffet spun with a gasp, caught off guard by the child's swift movements. Then, they turned on a dime, and launched themselves at the spider. Muffet cried out, as their knife plunged into her, taking her down swiftly.


	72. Change your Perspective

Muffet jerked awake with a gasp, clutching what should have been her wounded arm as she breathed heavily. …there was no blood…no pain. Tiredly, she raised her arm, inspecting it. Not the slightest mark. …a dream…? That made the most sense, but the spider monster had the nagging feeling that something was off.

With a light groan, she sat up, clutching her hands tight, shutting her eyes in concentration as she focused on the dream, trying to make some form of sense around it. That child…it was like Frisk…but it was also like the other that she had fought. It should just be a dream…just a dream…a dream.

"Miss. Muffet?" She turned with a soft gasp, spotting Grillby in the doorway. He hurried over with a small box in his hands. "Are you all right?"

"F—Fine," she managed. "Just…" Her eyes narrowed briefly. "Just a dream."

Grillby's flames dimmed with concern. "If…if you're sure…?"

Muffet smiled, and couldn't help a soft laugh. "Sir, it's fine. You needn't worry about me."

"You haven't been in your own body for nearly a year; I have the right to worry."

The spider giggled. The elemental was rather charming with all his fretting. "But you saved me," she murmured, a hand unconsciously going to where the wound had been. "And as you can see, I'm fine. Tomorrow, I can leave the lab."

There was some unhappy sound that she wasn't quite sure how to describe, but it took all her will to not laugh at it. "We're not sure how fast you'll adjust," Grillby mumbled. "Do you think you'll be able to walk all right?" he asked as he handed her the box.

"Hmm…hadn't thought about that, honestly," she managed as she opened it. "It's a little strange now, not hearing the others after being like that for so long…" She found French Fries, and a hamburger. It seemed he wasn't sure what to make. Not that she minded as she started eating.

"I suppose I could see that," Grillby replied, pulling up a chair. "Have you been well…like that?"

"For the most part, it was all right," Muffet stated. "Admittedly, there were some parts I rather not go through again, but…all is well for me, at least."

The elemental nodded. "It's…it's good to see you again—like this."

"And it's good to be back," she assured. "…thank you, Sir…for…for doing all this. I wouldn't…I wouldn't be here had you not healed me when you did. And…coming here all the time. You really had no reason to do that."

"I think I had every reason to do all the above…"

Muffet smiled, shaking her head. "Well, despite everything else going 'off the rails', at least you've stayed the same. I missed talking to you."

"As did I…we really couldn't talk as you were…"

She giggled. "No, I suppose not. Not with all those souls listening in on us." Then she looked up mischievously. "Though, Sir, what's been happening to the 'Miss'?" she teased. "I don't hear it so often."

"I…may have dropped it in my worrying…" he admitted. "My apologies, Miss—"

"Stop," she cut in, raising a hand. He halted, and she lowered her hand with a smile. "If you'd like…'Muffet' would suffice."

He paused, seeming to blink at her, tilting his head ever so slightly as he thought over her words, letting them register. Then, he nodded, his flames brightening. "On one condition then, Muffet."

She gave a hum. "What would that be, Sir?"

He chuckled. "You drop the 'Sir'," he replied.

The spider blinked rapidly, and then smiled, her little fangs showing as she did so. "Well, if you insist…Grillby it is."

The elemental's flames crackled merrily. "How is your meal?" he asked.

Muffet hummed her delight. "Most appreciated," she assured. He seemed satisfied with that, and for a while, neither of them spoke as she ate, with Muffet steadily getting lost in her thoughts as she focused on that dream. …she just couldn't get that nagging feeling to go away. That it was more than a dream…and even now…she felt a little different.

"…Muffet?"

She jerked in surprise, coming out of her thoughts. "Hm? Yes, S—Grillby?"

His flames had dimmed as he looked to her. "Something's on your mind," he stated simply. This was no longer a question. "…would you like to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "It's just a dream…"

"That doesn't give you any less reason to speak about it if it's troubling you," the elemental reasoned.

"Well…" Muffet hummed, trying to think of where to begin. "I was near my parlor…and…there was a child—I thought it was Frisk—trapped in my webs. I went to free them…and they lashed out at me."

Grillby jerked to attention, his flames giving an odd snap.

"I stopped them, and…they just started acting so strangely. I thought they were the other child, but…they would clutch at their head in pain, and fear…I tried to approach…I got hurt. The child…they dropped the blade, apologizing and crying, but…it was like someone was constantly flipping a switch."

The elemental's flames dimmed, and she continued. "One moment, I have this broken little one, and the next…there's just this intent to kill. I…wasn't careful, and they did manage to get their knife back…"

The flames went erratic for a moment, and then halted. "Muffet…the only reason your body didn't crumble was because of that weak human soul. They never did anything, so most the time, we don't even take notice of their existence, but…"

Muffet paused, and drew a hand over her chest as it sunk in. "I…I still have their soul," she stammered, and then looked down at her hands. "That's why I've felt strange…then…then that was like when I was with Frisk! We were both…asleep, so we found each other, but…" Muffet drooped. "The child…"

"They were the ones that were held hostage by the one that used their body to kill everyone," Grillby stated.

Muffet flinched. "The poor Dearie…"

He nodded. "I can't imagine what other horrors they could have suffered through, but…"

"They were having a nightmare," she surmised. "That's why they couldn't seem to keep control, switching back from between what they wanted, and what would have happened due to the other…"

Grillby dipped his head. "Do you sense them now…?"

Muffet closed her eyes. They were faint, and she had to actively focus to catch a wisp of their presence. "Barely…I don't think they're aware of what I'm doing right now…"

"They have a long road to recovery—if they can make it at all," Grillby stated.

"It's sad, really…" Muffet murmured. "I don't know where to start with them…"

"I know someone who might…" Grillby replied.

"Oh?"

"But they're a surprise. I'll have to talk to them, besides, you need to rest."

"Looks like I'll be occupied tomorrow, then…though, I'd like to go to my house first. Cupcake and the other little spiders must be fretting over my long absence."

"They came to visit a few times," Grillby mused. "Sadly, not whenever Frisk was around."

"Well then, all the more reason to stop there first."

"I have no issue with that," Grillby assured, taking away the now empty box. Muffet stifled a yawn, and his flames seemed to soften. "Here," he stated, grabbing a blanket that had been left in the room. "Get some rest, Muffet, we'll worry about it all in the morning."

She smiled, accepting the blanket. "Thank you…Grillby…for all of this."

His flames crackled merrily. "I'll see you soon; I have some work cut out for me."

"Take care."

With that, he was gone and sleep was swift to claim her, though this time, it seemed the little one didn't stir, as Muffet didn't sense them in her dreams. Late morning eventually came, and she roused from her slumber.

Mettaton had checked on her, and with no obvious problems, he allowed her to go. Though, much to her disappointment, she found that walking anywhere wouldn't be an easy chore. Thankfully, Grillby had arrived by that point, and the end result was that he carried her to her home.

Once they entered, Grillby's gaze swept over the home as they entered the living room. Muffet clapped her hands. "Cupcake?"

There was a mad scrambling as the small monster scurried out of the bedroom, tearing through the kitchen so fast that his thankfully empty dishes were sent flying, clattering onto the kitchen floor. Grillby wisely set the spider monster down on the couch, only to get sent to floor a moment later as the creature rammed into his legs.

"Oh!" Muffet exclaimed in alarm. "Grillby, are you all right!?"

"Alive," he assured, while Cupcake scrambled over him and jumped up on the couch beside Muffet, whimpering as he frantically licked at her.

"Cupcake!" she yelped, laughing as she tried to push his maw away from her. "No! Stop it! Bad!" He didn't relent, and kept at it. He hadn't heard her in forever—she was back, and he was going to make her understand how happy he was!

Grillby stood, watching the odd creature lick at her and nuzzle her, making excited, happy, and content sounds. He jumped off the couch, running in wild circles, before leaping back up, showering the spider with affections. Grillby watched as the routine repeated itself for nearly ten minutes, before Cupcake tired himself out, and plopped down in her lap out of exhaustion.

Muffet giggled, and then kissed the creature's forehead. "I missed you too, Cupcake."

Grillby chuckled. "Quite the interesting pet you have."

"You should see him on sugar…"

"…oh dear."

* * *

After Cupcake was satisfied for the most part, and Muffet spoke with her spiders, she disappeared for a bit, letting Grillby make himself at home in the living room. It was nearly an hour later that she finally reemerged, her hair slightly damp, but back in pigtails. Her attire had changed as well, though it was of similar in design.

Cupcake had been a major help, allowing Muffet to sit on his back so that he could carry her around the house. He scuttled proudly back into the living room with her. "I hope I didn't take too long," Muffet murmured.

Grillby shook his head, placing the book he had been reading back down. "It's of no trouble," he assured. Then, he stood. "Are we ready?"

"I think so," she replied, petting Cupcake's head before standing up, supporting herself on the arm of the couch. "Sorry, Cupcake sweetie, I have to go again." Cupcake stared at her as if she grew a second head, and then flopped over, legs twitching in the air. Muffet giggled. "Big drama baby…I'll be back in the evening, I promise."

Cupcake made a questioning sound.

Muffet smiled. "I'll be back. I'm only going to Snowdin this time. If I don't come back, you can pin it all on Grillby."

"What? Why me?" Grillby asked in confusion.

"Because you're the one who decided to be my escort," she replied with a little smirk. "Therefore, my wellbeing is your responsibility. So if something did happen to me, you'd take the blame for it, even if it wasn't actually your fault."

"…well that's not wrong, but…"

"Then don't argue about it~"

Grillby huffed lightly in amusement. "Have your coat?"

"Indeed," she replied, motioning to a closet by the door, using the wall so that she wouldn't fall. After a year of not doing anything, it would take a while before her body would allow her to get through a day without being so drained.

With that, Grillby carried her down to the river, contacting Napstablook along the way. They got to Snowdin without incident, with Napstablook joining at the Waterfall station, though once they got there, Muffet insisted on walking from the station, to Grillby's. It took longer than it should have, and Grillby had to support her, fretting over every step to the point that his flames were constantly crackling with worry.

Muffet was a stubborn woman in the end, putting up with the cold as she managed to finally get to Grillby's. The tavern was closed for the day, leaving it empty. Grillby looked around. Sometimes, it was a little disappointing that he found it deserted more often than not, as of late…but things were changing.

Napstablook trailed in after them, as the door closed. "Oh…" the ghost fretted as they came close. "Are you going to be okay…? That took a while…maybe we should have carried you…"

"No, I'm fine," Muffet managed as Grillby helped her to a chair. "Just a little tired, but I'll be okay. The sooner I get my strength back, the sooner I can help."

"Maybe, but…it won't help anyone if you just run yourself into the ground…"

"I promise to be careful," the spider monster assured, and then looked to Grillby. "Are they who you meant or…?"

"Not quite," he replied.

Napstablook blinked in surprise, and then flew over to the jukebox. "Um…hello? Are you hiding in here again?"

There was a pause, and then the red ghost poked their head out. Muffet gasped softly in surprise as Chara hesitantly came forth. They flew forward to the bar, but didn't come any closer.

"…glad to see you awake," Chara mumbled, with Napstablook translating as always.

"This is Chara," Grillby continued when Muffet found herself without words. "They were actually tagging along with us during our time in the Abyss…they're the ones who put the other's soul in you."

Chara dimmed while Muffet looked up in surprise. "That was you…?" Chara nodded slowly, before the spider smiled softly. "Thank you, Dearie." The ghost jerked and whipped their head up. Muffet giggled. "I know very well that I wouldn't have lasted had you not done that…are…are you friends with them?"

They shook their head. "No…I don't know them well at all…I'd assume they're like your Frisk…" Chara quietly explained what they had learned of the souls when they were within the flower.

Muffet's eyes closed with a sad sigh. "A Frisk that was forced to kill…I suppose that would explain how their soul is so torn…"

Napstablook looked to the human ghost. "…do you know of any way to mend their soul? I can't imagine it'd do any good to just leave it be…it'll only get worse if it's not tended to…"

Chara shook their head. "I can tell you what to not do…" They breathed out. "Don't let them be around me. They probably hate me. I'm the counterpart to that corruption, they won't see a difference…"

"You may be the counterpart," Grillby replied. "However you are still two very different people."

"I told you that it was by chance! Had I woken sooner, I would have been no different!"

"And how are you so certain of that?" Muffet asked. Chara stopped. "You might have wanted to be like that," the spider started, gathering the general idea of what was going on. "Or, maybe you would have kept your rationality. We don't know for certain, now would we?"

"But—"

"No two people are exactly the same," the spider assured. "There was an obvious difference with that…counterpart of yours. They woke at a different time…they did different things than you. If you were the same one, you would have met face to face sooner, I'd assume."

Chara was quiet, folding their arms. "…stop it…" they muttered. "Stop trying to paint me as someone who did the right thing!"

"…they're not going to…" Chara turned to look at the other ghost. "They're not going to stop…"

"Why!?" Chara demanded, though Napstablook was no longer translating. However, with their arm motions, and sparking energy, the other two had a general idea of what was being said. They shook their head. "How do I get them to stop!?"

"They'll stop when you decide not to paint yourself as the bad guy…" Chara drew back slightly in surprise and Napstablook rose up. "We only know you for the deeds you have shown. You stopped the other human…you saved Muffet…you show that you care about that other soul…you're hardly a bad guy, so why do you insist otherwise?"

Chara grumpily folded their arms, looking away from the monsters. Napstablook smiled. "It's…okay. I guess it'd take time to change your perspective—if you change it at all, but…do know that we care."

"You don't even know me."

"So?"

"So stop."

Napstablook shook their head. "No…that doesn't matter. We care…"

Chara groaned and rose up. "Look. I don't know how to heal a soul. You'll just have to figure that out on your own." With that, the ghost flew back into the jukebox, hiding away from all of them.

Muffet reached out, and then stopped, sighing softly. Grillby's flames dimmed. "…apologies…"

"No…it's all right." She smiled a little. "I'm sure with time, they won't do that. We're still mostly strangers, after all…" With that, she shakily stood. "Well, perhaps we should try to figure out some methods of our own. I feel like I'm holding a glass figurine here. I don't want to break them…"

"Then…looks like we should get a move on. Napstablook…?"

"Oh…heh…I think I'll stay here a bit, if that's okay…"

Grillby's flames softened. "By all means, make yourself at home."


	73. Possibilities

"Back again?" William asked the fire elemental as he took a seat at his desk.

"So it would seem," Grillby replied. "I figured we should probably make better acquaintances of ourselves if I'm going to be around more often."

"Well, I have no issue with that," the human assured. "From what I've heard, the kingdom has elected you to be…what is it? The new King or?"

"More of a stand-in," Grillby replied with a shrug. "Our King is technically still alive; we just have no figure-head for it."

"Ah, I see. Well then, what can I do for you?"

"I'm not really looking for anything to be done in the moment, perhaps," the elemental started. "For now, I'm just trying to see if we can't find a way to move forward with all this. Between the initial reluctance for monsters, and that attack…well, we haven't exactly made any good impressions, have we?"

"Afraid not," William replied. "I'm sorry that they're like this, but…"

Grillby shook his head. "The issue is finding a way to show a better side to the monsters. How would we like to go about that when we can't enter the majority of places to meet humans? In fact, as far as I know, only the House Mouse is open to us, and that's at the price of some of Jeremiah's human customers."

"True, that only helps so much," William murmured. "People have to be willing to see you. The thing is, they're mostly split in half, honestly. You have the people like me. We realized you've been trapped for a millennia underground, multiple generations being punished for a war they weren't even in. Perhaps we were wrong to put you there…"

"And the other half?"

"The other half believes there's a good reason we put your kind down there, and that's why we should force you back in. After all, the books entail one reason we feared your kind. The fact that you could absorb our souls…though heck if I know what's true or not in this situation."

Grillby was silent for several long moments, contemplating on what he should say about that. "Your city believes we can do it, so it wouldn't matter how I replied, really. It's not changing anything."

"So…?"

"We can take a human soul after it leaves its body," Grillby confirmed. "Of course, going after one intentionally was never wise. Humans are stronger after all. It's not like we could take them by force."

William frowned, thinking that over. "Then, why the War? We had to figure that out somehow, I'd assume."

"Your souls linger on death. Some monsters probably took the souls from accidents, or natural deaths. For what purpose, I cannot say, I wasn't there. However, if we lost the war, that meant most likely, they were just a temporary thing. Perhaps a monster found a dying human far from its village, and returned with the soul fusion so that they could have their last words.

"Of course," the elemental continued. "I wouldn't go off quoting me. I'd either ask Gerson, or perhaps Frisk, for that kind of thing, as they have souls present for those events."

"So," William started. "Is killing a human really that difficult for you? I know we have stronger bodies, but…truly?"

"I don't think we want to test that theory," Grillby stated. "Though I wouldn't know. I never had to directly fight a human until that incident with Frisk, but I was trying to avoid killing them anyways. It wouldn't do good for our record if we were responsible for a few deaths."

"Not at all," William agreed. It always intrigued Grillby, how the man was so laid back over just about anything unless it posed an immediate threat. Talking to monsters, seeing if they could live together…Grillby was glad that the most agreeable human happened to also be the leader.

The human leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. "Even if we could prove it was self-defense, it would hardly help with stubborn people set in their ways. So, the question is, what do we do?"

"Which is what I came to ask you. As a Leader, you would know your people best."

"That's not saying too much, sadly," William replied. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I know best interests, and what makes the city happy…but I don't practically know them one on one."

"Huh, odd…"

"It is?" William asked. "Normal to me…"

Grillby shook his head. "Our King is well-loved for the fact that he was very easy to talk to. You could almost always find him walking amongst the people, or ready to listen to you in his gardens…in fact, the King was well known with getting into our daily lives."

William listened, a smile showing. "Huh…that's one heck of a King."

"…that's one way to put it, I suppose."

There was a huff of amusement from the albino human. "In short, I'm not quite sure, but…"

"Yes?"

"If it were me trying to appeal to the monster kingdom…I'd try to show what we humans do, or have to offer. Like food, or something like that. Materialistic? Very. Gets their attention and hopefully has them see that there's more to you then just 'being a monster'…? Hopefully."

"…well, we do have shop keepers…"

"Do you know any who would want to move down here and open said shop?" William asked. "I could pull some strings if someone tries to stop you, but really, there's some empty buildings in our small business area. Jeremiah could probably point you to some."

"Well…I would have volunteered," Grillby murmured. "But with my tavern still open in Snowdin, and Fiona handling it more often than not right now, I can't say I'm in position to do this, but…" He paused, his flames slowly brightening. "I might actually know someone who does."

"Then I think we might have found ourselves a starting point," William replied. "See if they're interested, and then look around. I'll help out if I can…" Then he paused. "Actually, we need to figure out what your currency equals to ours at some point or another…"

"That sounds prudent…"

"I'll flip the bill initially," William replied as he stood. "I have basically all the money I could ever need, so that won't hurt me."

"While I do appreciate the offer," Grillby stated. "We'll have to see how it goes."

"Indeed," William agreed, before extending his hand. "Though I still wish you the best of luck." Grillby looked down, and then reached out.

* * *

That evening, Grillby had handled the closing hours of his Tavern. He stepped out, locking it, a box in one hand. He jerked to attention as he heard a shout. "Go long!"

Doggo was out in the snow with the pups all clustered by him. Apparently, it was his turn to take care of them again. He waved the stick, most of the pups jumping with barely contained excitement.

Then, he flung it forth, the pups whipping around to chase after it, sending up a spray of snow as they clumsily ran, a few tripping over one another. They were durable though, swiftly picking themselves up, and continuing their chase…except for one.

Doggo looked down in confusion as Canis slowly turned her head. "Uh…" Doggo murmured. "Canis?" She looked up at him silently. "Um…are you not going to chase the stick?" She shook her head. "Why not?"

Her response was to give a squeaky little yawn…and slump against his leg. Doggo sighed. "You are one strange pup, little Missy, I hope you know that." Canis gave a grunt, snuggling comfortably into position as the other pups came rushing back, with Beowulf carrying the stick; though that didn't stop the other three from nipping at it, trying to claim it as well.

Doggo smirked, wrestling the stick back. "Okay, are we ready?" There were yips of joy. "Get set…" They jumped into play stances. "Fetch!" He moved his arm—and the pups were already running. Though, they stopped when they couldn't see where the stick went. Doggo smirked, hiding it behind his back.

They whined, sniffing the air, trying to somehow track it. Grillby snorted in mild amusement as he watched them. That was a little mean, but…it was amusing to watch the pups bury their noses in the snow, trying to somehow find their missing stick.

Doggo blinked in surprise as he felt a tug. He turned, and found that Canis had crawled behind him and put in just enough energy and effort to snag the stick. "Uh…" She looked up silently, slowly blinking at him.

"I guess you caught it, huh…?" She didn't respond at all. "Um…you gonna let your Uncle Doggo have the stick back?"

She didn't seem to have any intention of letting go.

"Uhhh…."

Grillby huffed in amusement, disappearing around his shop, before swiftly coming back. "Little pups…" They jerked their heads with a gasp. "Looking for this?" he asked, holding up a new stick. They approached, stopping a few feet away with wary looks.

He chuckled and tossed it, letting it fall in front of them. They all pounced on it, turning into a pile of tangled limbs as they all tried to claim it for themselves as they stumbled their way back to their Uncle with a new stick.

When Grillby looked up, he chuckled, finding that Doggo was now cradling Canis in one arm as she quietly teethed on the original stick. It seemed that it didn't take much to make the little one content.

Despite her lack of interest in moving around bringing slight concern, it was a wonderful gift to the dog pack when the other four seemed to have boundless energy that drove the adults to the end of their wits. Canis was the only one they could count on to stay out of trouble.

Seeing that things were going smoothly, Grillby headed off to the river station. It didn't take long to get to Hotlands, or to find Muffet's home. He knocked, and a minute later, the door opened to a tired spider quietly looking up. "Hello, Grillby," she greeted.

"Good evening, Muffet," he replied. "Could I coax you out for the evening?"

"Oh?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

He nodded. "I've been told that some fresh air might do you some good…and…" Her gaze went to the box he held, and her smile broadened, fully reaching her eyes.

She opened the door fully. "I'll accept the invitation then, Sir," she assured. Grillby smiled, offering out a hand which she took without hesitation. She had always been much smaller than the elemental, but it seemed more prominent now, when she was still exhausted.

They travelled just fine, though when they did manage to get outside, Muffet was starting to tire. She was at least faring better than before. "Hrrm…" Grillby mused. "Would you object to…"

"Go ahead…" she managed, leaning a bit heavily on him. He had her hold the box, and then swiftly scooped her up with ease, like she didn't weigh a single thing…which was mostly true.

"So…" the spider continued. "Since we're doing it like this now, and I'm not focusing on putting one foot in front of the other…" Muffet stated. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked as he started moving, looking for a path that would take them further up the mountain.

"Possibilities, with the humans and your business—when you're feeling better, of course."

"Oh?" she asked curiously. "And what are these possibilities?"

"I found that perhaps, we could do something if we had a monster business within the city."

"And…you're asking me?"

"I would have done it myself," the elemental admitted. "But between having my tavern still open, and taking on so much more…"

"You'd be running yourself ragged," she finished.

"Exactly. And…this would allow direct contact with customers, but at the same time…"

Muffet smiled. "Well…I'm sure I can manage something."

"So then…?"

"I'll consider it," she replied. "How's that sound?"

"I'll take it."

"Good…" she murmured, before glancing up. "Where are we going exactly…?"

There was a crackle in his flames. "Up?"

She tiredly smacked his shoulder with a laugh. "I said 'exactly', Sir."

"But where's the fun in telling you?"

"Hmm…I don't keep hitting you?"

"…we're still going up."

"Sir!"

Grillby chuckled. "I thought we were dropping the 'Sir'."

"Not when you're like this," she replied, folding a pair of her arms, looking away as if she were mad…but the laughter in her voice couldn't fool him.

"Oh, you wound me," he stated as the evening sun started to fade away.

"Hmm…maybe I should invest in a squirt bottle."

"Muffet…"

She giggled her merriment. "Then don't tease me."

"I don't think you're playing fair," he complained.

She smirked, her little fangs showing. "…but where's the fun in that?"

"…I have a rule about using my own words against me."

"Hmm, first I heard of it."

"Well, now you know."

Muffet hummed. "…and I don't care~"

"Now you've truly wounded me."

"You don't sound all that 'wounded'," she replied.

"…could I look wounded if I dimmed my flames?"

"Hmm…I wouldn't buy it."

"Worth a shot," he chuckled.

There was some more playful bickering before he finally made it to a large flat area on the upper parts of the mountain with a stretch of grass, though there were some rock ledges from which you could see the land around for miles. At this point, the sun was gone, showing a night sky. He gently set her down, and then sat beside her.

Muffet looked up, a soft sound of awe coming from her. His gaze went up as well. It was true that they had been under the night sky before, but away from the light pollution of the city…they found far more glistening jewels in the cloak of darkness.

"It's so beautiful," she stated softly. "The outside world…" Grillby made a soft hum of agreement as she started to eat the dinner he brought along. "And it's so strange…to see so far…and know that there's still more you can't see. The Underground suddenly feels a lot smaller now that we're outside."

Grillby nodded slowly. "It's better this way," he murmured. "The horizon is simply as far as the eye can see. Go to the next horizon, and there's another waiting. This…the outside is practically boundless…and I say we should enjoy it."

"Certainly no objection here," Muffet assured.

For a while, the two talked about possibilities for what the future had in store. There was just so much that was uncertain, due to how things played out. Even after Muffet finished eating, the two stayed out, talking. Though, eventually, she began to shiver. Once more, on instinctual habit, Grillby drew an arm around her, bringing her against his side, letting his warmth seep into her.

She made a sound of surprise, but smiled as she relaxed, before jerking. Grillby turned. "Muffet—?" he asked worriedly as she leaned forward, clutching her chest. She gave shuddering breaths, before sitting straight, shakily staring at her hands, where a broken human soul floated just above her fingers.

The two monsters stared in awe as part of it seemed to be sewn back together. It didn't go back into one firm piece, and still looked battered, but both monsters knew what they saw. It had been mended.

"Did we just…?" Grillby breathed.

"…it fixed itself…" she breathed. "…something…something just happened to make it heal…"

Grillby paused. "Perhaps it reacts to what happens around it?"

She nodded slowly. "I think so too…looks like we'll have to do more for it…" She smiled. "Shouldn't be too hard." Then, she coaxed the soul back, closing her eyes as she let it phase into her, where she deemed it safest.


	74. Earned my Trust

A few weeks later, Grillby and Muffet walked close together. "Of course it had to be raining today," Grillby muttered softly to himself as he kept himself under an umbrella, with the spider monster doing the same.

"At least it isn't raining too hard," she murmured. "It's more of a light sprinkle."

"There's that," he agreed, looking at a slip of paper and a key he held in his hand. "…William is easy-going with everything to the point that it worries me."

Muffet smiled in amusement. "Indeed, it was surprising. Jeremiah pointed us to an address, and since no one owns it…"

"William gives us the key and just says to let ourselves in to look at it."

"Well, if it's the other way around, wouldn't King Asgore have been nearly the same…?"

Grillby sighed. "…no. Our King would have been worse at this."

Muffet stifled a giggled. "Grillby," she managed. "You're being mean; honest, but mean."

"I can't help that our King is like that," he murmured, some amusement coming to his voice.

"No, but you can help what you say," she replied with a sing-song tone to her voice.

"I can," he replied simply.

She rolled all five of her eyes, and then rose slightly on her tip toes as she walked beside Grillby. "Where is this, anyways?"

"Somewhere…nearby," Grillby mused. "I'm not that good with addresses due to living in Snowdin."

"Here, let me see," Muffet offered, taking the paper. "Living near the city means I had to have some idea with this sort of thing." She glanced at the paper with a little hum of thought, and then glanced around, finding a street sign. "Hmm…this is 212…what was the last one we went by?"

"Um…211, I believe?"

"Oh, good," she replied. "We didn't go too far. It should be the next street then."

"Good thing I brought you," Grillby mused.

"Well," she murmured. "Worse came to worst, you would just walk back to the Capital Building or Ebott."

"True…but I rather just get to where I was going."

She giggled as they moved, dodging the slowly forming puddles. "You know, it's interesting," Muffet murmured.

"What is…?"

"The world seems to be a much different place under a gray sky," she replied. "I've seen it like this before during the past year, but…it looks…and it feels different, when the sun isn't constantly shining down upon it."

Grillby nodded. "The light can define a place very well. Snowdin would look so strange with sunlight, and take away the lava, and Hotlands would be a rather menacing place, wouldn't you think?"

Muffet gave a hum of thought. "It's not bad," she replied. "I'm sure Dogamy wouldn't complain since the sun isn't out to make this place so unbearably hot."

"I didn't have a problem with it…" he joked.

"Grillby!" Muffet exclaimed with laughter.

"What?"

"Oh, you know what, you insufferable—"

"I do try."

Muffet tossed her free arms up in exasperation. "You are so misleading," she said as they turned down another street.

"How?"

"Oh, you act like the role model to a gentleman…and then you have to tease the life out of everything."

He chuckled softly. "That might be the general idea."

The spider shook her head, and then glanced back at the address, muttering softly to herself as they passed by a few other buildings in the small business district. "Oh—here it is!" The elemental looked up to find a two story building of red-gray brick. It had a bit of a yard in the front—though it wasn't much.

It was rather big, with Grillby seeing it long enough to have two classrooms next to each other. There were even technically two front doors, hinting at the idea that it was originally meant to have two businesses, but was then abandoned midway for whatever reason.

"Hmm…" Muffet murmured as they approached, with Grillby taking the key, and providing them entryway. The place was dark and barren, with Grillby providing the only light.

"…it'll need some work," Grillby stated, uncertain of what her opinion would be.

She shrugged, not seeming bothered as the two set their umbrellas down just outside the door. "It allows for a lot of leeway. Nothing was 'set in stone' as it were." Muffet looked at the wide front area, turning slowly, before they headed into the back. There was a back door, but Muffet ignored it, looking at a flight of stairs, before carefully ascending.

Once reaching the top, the two found themselves in a wide hall that connected to several rooms. Muffet slowly went down, opening doors, surveying the size of each and every one. Finally, she stopped at the end of the hall, closing all her eyes with a hum of thought. Grillby looked around. "…what do you think?"

"This whole upper area could easily be living quarters," she stated, pointing at doors as she spoke. "Bedroom, living and dining room, bathroom, and the one by the stairs would be storage. Other rooms are spares for whatever purpose they may have."

Grillby looked around, seeing the general idea she was forming. "That would work," he replied. "And if you have living quarters, you wouldn't have to go back and forth every day."

She nodded in agreement, moving to a window to look out the back of the building. It revealed a large yard with an old tree that was all fenced in; likely an empty lot that ended up not getting used.

"Hmm…though, the thing is, it is rather large for just myself," she murmured. "I'd likely only use half of the working area downstairs, and there's already plenty of living space up here, in all honesty."

The elemental tilted his head. "I understand that you're getting at something…"

She smiled softly. "Sir, how long do you think you'll be playing the role of 'King'?"

"…I'm, I'm not sure…"

"Grillby, it can't be forever, can it? Mettaton is working to find a way to separate Frisk and the others."

"True, but it took nearly a year for you to be free."

"If King Asgore had time for the people, and time for himself, then so should you," she reasoned.

"Well…what are you suggesting exactly?"

"It's far too big for just me," Muffet stated simply. "This place was obviously designed for two businesses, and the upstairs is large for just one person as well."

"Then…"

She smiled, her little fangs showing. "I'm saying that it could easily be split in half if you ever move your business down here."

"Well…it'd be quite some time."

"Doesn't hurt to prepare," she assured. "I don't expect any of this to be ready for a while anyways. Honestly, all the building for everything here will take several months, I'd think. So, don't worry about it right now. Besides…it gives me time to think about all this."

"Hrrm…" The elemental wasn't quite sure what to think of the offer. While he wouldn't mind having a business down here eventually—right now he still had Snowdin's Tavern to run—though Fiona was often pitching in, along with the dog pack taking over once and a while as well.

"And with all that space upstairs, two people could live comfortably," Muffet murmured.

He didn't register her words at first, but when he did, he jerked his head up. "Wait—what?" he asked in general surprise. "Miss. Muffet," he managed, starting to sound a little flustered, his flames darkening.

She blinked, and couldn't help a smirk. Revenge. "Sir, the two potential bedrooms are on complete opposite sides of the hall, if that's what you're worried about."

"I still don't really think—"

She stepped forward. "Grillby." She looked up at him, two hands on her hips. "You saved my life, and you've been taking care of me all this time…I think you've earned my trust." Grillby didn't respond as he stared at the floor, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Muffet couldn't help a giggle. "And this is when you're too much of a gentleman," she stated, before moving past him back to the stairs.

"Just give it some thought," she assured him. "There's plenty of time, just let me know when you make a decision." With that, she headed down the stairs.

Grillby paused, thinking for a few moments, trying to get his thoughts in order. "Muffet!" he called as he raced after her. Grillby didn't remember ever being stopped dead in his tracks like that—how did she even!?

Oh, it didn't matter how she did it, he just didn't want her straying too far in an unfamiliar area of the city.

All he heard in response, was her soft laughter…at least someone was enjoying this…not to say he didn't like it…just…

He honestly didn't have the words to describe how scrambled he was.

* * *

Muffet still had a smile on her face when she got home late that evening. She laughed as Cupcake came skidding over to greet her. "Hello, Cupcake," she cooed. "Who's been a good boy?" Cupcake gave a happy rumble, nuzzling against her, soaking up all the attention like a sponge.

"You know…you've been a good, patient boy. Do you know what we should do?" Cupcake tilted his whole form with a questioning sound. "We should take you outside for a few hours. You might like it."

It didn't take too long, before Muffet stepped outside with him. The creature stopped in the sunlight, skittering back into the shade of the cave at first. "It's okay," Muffet called, turning as she did so. She knelt down, spreading her arms out. "Come here, Cupcake. You can do it. Nothing's going to hurt you."

The creature hesitated, standing in the shadows, before creeping out a little further, blinking against the light. It stood there for a few more moments, and then darted forward, racing to the spider's hold. She gave a grunt, falling back as the creature plowed into her.

Cupcake nuzzled her, and she laughed, pushing against him. "Oh, you big lug!" she exclaimed. "What have I told you about doing that—oh!" She squeaked as Cupcake licked the side of her face, before more laughter escaped her. "You are in so much trouble!"

The creature skittered back, but seemed unphased by the threat as she sat up, pulling a cloth from a pocket, and wiping his saliva away. For one so dainty, others would think she wouldn't take kindly to all of Cupcake's slobber attacks, and yet, she actually took it in wonderful strides. She slowly pushed him back, slowly standing up and dusting herself off.

"Well, now that's taken care of…" She smiled, hands on her hips. "Look at all this room you have to run around in. What do you think?" Cupcake wiggled his whole body happily as he skittered around, curious about their immediate surroundings.

Cupcake gave an excited sound and then scampered ahead. Muffet smiled, slowly following after him. Cupcake never had a lot of room to run around, and due to her situation, the other spiders kept him in the house where he was manageable. It was time to make up for that.

Cupcake darted into the trees, yipping excitedly, chasing after small animals and the like, with Muffet shaking her head in amusement. For a creature of his girth, it was surprising that he could skitter around so much.

Muffet sighed softly, feeling a little weary from all the walking, and found herself a perch on a boulder. She closed her eyes, nodding off…until Cupcake's muffled grunts caught her attention. The spider looked down to see him sitting there, with a stick in his maw, looking at her expectantly.

She stared at him briefly, and then let out a soft laugh, before slipping down, and grabbing it from him. She wiggled it as she raised her arm, causing the creature to jerk in excitement, before she sent it flying, laughing as he chased after it, and coming back swiftly just to do it again. For a while, they continued the game…though one time, Cupcake came back with a different stick all together.

Muffet stared at it…smiled, and then started to laugh. "Cupcake!" She was so focused on that, that she almost didn't notice, until Cupcake gave an alarmed bark.

The spider gasped, looking down at the broken human soul. She brought her hands around it as it pulsed slightly, mending itself a little. Muffet breathed out…and then smiled. "Does this help, Little One? Seeing what good can show up in this world? Don't worry, we'll mend you eventually."

* * *

Fiona hummed as she served a dish of French fries. The door opened, and she looked up in slight surprise to see her Uncle come in. "Uncle Grillby!" she called.

The elemental looked up tiredly, managing a smile. "Good evening, Fiona," he stated wearily. "We've got another hour, how about I help you?"

"If you're feeling up to it…?"

"I can manage…"

An hour later, Fiona closed and locked up the tavern, before her attention went back to her Uncle. "…are you okay?"

He looked up, blinking. "I'm fine, why do you ask?"

The green-flamed elemental gave him the most dead-pan look she could muster. "You've been cleaning that one glass…for an hour."

"…I have?"

"Uncle Grillby," she murmured as she came over. "What's going on? Is it with the whole fuss with 'lead the kingdom'?" She still couldn't wrap her head around the idea.

"No," he replied.

"Then what is it?"

"…it's not important?"

She tapped her foot. "For the one who always coaxes others to talk, you're really bad at telling people your own problems!" she exclaimed in light frustration. "Come on, tell me!"

His flames darkened in color.

She raised a brow, and folded her arms. "…what did you do?"

"Nothing! I didn't do anything…"

"Then who did?"

The flames got darker. "I'm just thinking…"

Fiona hummed, folding her arms. "Really, what's gotten into you? All you did today was go down to the city with…" She blinked, and Grillby hated that she had to be so clever. Fiona made a gasp of exclamation and pointed at him. "Something's bothering you with Muffet!"

"That's an assumption."

"But I'm right, aren't I?"

His flames dimmed. …she was.

"So what happened…?"

"Well…erm…she said…um…"

Fiona paused, and then, there seemed to be a smirk. "Uncle Grillby, did she fluster you?"

"No!"

"You said that too fast! She totally flustered you—oh gods, someone finally got you flustered! I'll tell Dad it is actually possible!"

"Fiona!"

"What?" she asked, purely teasing him in revenge before the two started bickering back and forth, with Grillby trying to defend himself, and Fiona ribbing him…until sparks of red caught their attention, and both jerked to the jukebox, where Chara seemed to be silently laughing, their energy brightening. "Uh…?" She looked to her Uncle who was happy for a different conversation.

"That I can explain…" And so he did.


	75. Elements of Joy

Time continued to move, weeks, some months… The time was filled with interactions with the humans, keeping their kingdom afloat, and lately, the elemental and the spider have been spending more and more time together, partially due to renovating the building Muffet had been offered…though they were often seen together at this point.

They enjoyed each other's company, and over time, they had discovered a few more moments that had healed the little human soul, bit by bit. It was nowhere near finished however, as the heart was still torn at least halfway down it's center, but there had been steady progress.

One afternoon, the two were outside of the monster kingdom, watching Frisk and Rex play on the nearby slopes. The meetings were dying down, and now, Frisk had more chances to just…be. Gerson had some errands to run in the kingdom, and had ended up asking Grillby to keep an eye on them.

Muffet arrived soon after, and decided to keep him company, as they had planned to leave for the city that evening. Muffet sighed in content, watching them run around. "How are you faring, Grillby?" she murmured.

"Still alive," was his reply.

She gave a soft laugh. "And Chara?"

"Still living in the jukebox."

The spider shook her head. "At some point, I believe we should talk to them. They are rather quiet, and I do wish to have them come out of their little 'cocoon' as it were."

Grillby nodded. "That is something we should probably work on."

"But how to go about it?"

"They have a lot of history," Grillby mused. "Right now, I find talking and learning about them as the best approach. It's hard to draw someone into life after they've been…well…"

"Not living for so long," she clarified. "Hmm, that does spark interesting issues, to say the least."

"Shouldn't be all too surprised," the elemental replied. "What isn't an interesting issue at this point?"

She laughed. "Goodness, I long for the day that we settle everything, and just have 'normal' back in our lives."

Grillby snorted. "Muffet, our best chance is to just make the oddities our 'normal life' and be done with it."

"You're probably right."

The elemental nodded. "Though I would not object to freeing Frisk and the souls of their fusion…"

Muffet smiled, fangs showing just slightly. "You'd like your number one customer back, hmm?"

"That's definitely part of that."

Her expression softened. "And you want to have our King back…you would gladly step down if he could come back to his role."

"Absolutely," Grillby replied. "I don't care how much Gerson insists, it just…doesn't sit right with me to be taking on such roles."

"Plus the paperwork?" Muffet teased.

Grillby moaned. "Don't remind me."

She giggled, and patted his shoulder. "I'm sorry, too soon?"

"Too soon."

Muffet couldn't help a snicker. "You make it sound like it was a great tragedy that unfolded."

"Did you not see the mountain of papers?"

"I did, and I took half of that mountain off your plate."

"Which I appreciated."

"Luckily for you, most of it just required a seal and a signature."

"That's true…but that is still a lot of paper."

Gerson snickered as he suddenly emerged from the mountain. "The part that they forget to mention to others. The paperwork."

"Back already?" Grillby questioned as he and Muffet stood.

"Yep, I finished up everything in there and—whoa!" He laughed as Frisk plowed into his leg with a squeal of joy, hugging him. "Hm, miss me?" he asked. Grillby snorted at the obvious answer while Rex ran up to them, slightly out of breath from all the running around.

Muffet smirked, her fangs glistening as she put her hands on her hips. "Miss you? Them? Why…I couldn't tell."

"Sassy woman," Gerson snickered.

The children giggled at the remark, while the elemental rose, looking up at the sky. "The sun is already starting to set," he murmured, before glancing to Muffet, and offering a hand. "Are we ready to take our leave? We don't want nightfall to arrive before we get there."

"I'm ready when you are," she assured, reaching out.

Gerson looked between them, a smirk slowly creeping across his face. "So…" he started, unable to resist. "Going on another date?"

"What!?" The two spun in alarm, with Muffet wrenching her hand back. "It's not a date!" they exclaimed. There was a sudden pause, and they slowly turned to look at each other. "…is it?"

Gerson howled with laughter, immediately leaning against the entry way so that he didn't end up falling over. He ended up laughing so hard that he had started coughing and wheezing, but managing to catch some of his breath. "Oh gods—young'uns…they're priceless…" He still snickered. "Good grief…"

The children glanced to the other two who were now staring at the ground a bit blankly, a blush on the spider's face, while the elemental's flames darkened. The two children couldn't help a little giggle at their expressions, despite the teasing.

The elemental slowly grabbed one of Muffet's hands, and she numbly allowed him to lead her away, both not having any way to counter the amused turtle. Gerson watched them go, smiling as he did. "Think they're going on a date?" he asked the children.

"Grandpa Gerson, you're being mean," Frisk managed through their laughter.

"Well?"

"Maybe," Frisk replied, while Rex laughed.

* * *

The walk down to the city was awkwardly quiet for the two monsters, and it wasn't until they reached the House Mouse, that they were ready to talk again. The walk took longer than usual, and the sun was already sinking away, the sky darkening as night started to arrive.

Even after they were seated, they were quiet for a bit, before Grillby started a conversation in the vain hope of getting their thoughts on another topic—anything else, at all. "So…how has that soul been?"

Muffet looked up, tapping her fingers quietly as she gathered her words. "Well—um…they've been healing, but outside of that…when I do have dreams with them…" She sighed. "Nothing's really changed there. I'll try to talk to them, and…they'll attack me." Her expression saddened as she stared at the table, a hand tracing aimless patterns.

"They're always crying, always so…hurt and regretful. I try to talk to them…but it's almost like they can't hear what I'm saying. I last longer each time, but in my attempts to get close—to talk to them…" She suddenly grabbed an arm tight.

"They'll get me eventually…and then I'll wake up…I try so hard, but I feel that the only time we ever reach them is when we…do things that heal them. Elements of joy, hope…that's what gives them enough motivation to heal, but in the end…I worry. Is that going to be enough? How do you…how do you even begin to help someone with so much trouble in their mind? When the past haunts them…and…there's no clear-cut way to fix it?"

A shadow fell over them, and they glanced up to see Jerimiah. "Sounds like PTSD," he said, inserting himself into the conversation, resting his hands on the edge of the table to take the weight off his bad leg.

"PTSD…?" Muffet questioned.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder," Grillby supplied. "Soldiers are known for it after coming back from war."

"Not the best thing to have, not gonna lie," Jeremiah replied. "Hard to get rid of."

Muffet raised a brow. "Did you…have it then?"

"Maybe not in the same sense, but…Michael and I did run into some rough nights, obviously. My leg is proof of that. When it first happened…" Even as he spoke, there was still a pleasant smile on his face. "It was really hard, ya know. Nightmares over the events repeating themselves…trying to adapt to it mentally—not sure if they have any physical issues…"

 _Just the lack of a body…_ Muffet murmured quietly.

"How did you make do?" Grillby asked. "At first glance, I don't see you as the person to have gone through anything remotely like that."

"Well, it was tough at first," he admitted. "Getting used to the idea that I could barely walk…that I can't run or jump, and can't even ride a bike…I'm lucky my leg functions enough to drive…I focused on all the downsides for quite a while…even when I got the brace to help me…but…"

He chuckled. "I started looking at the bright side of things. I can still move around, I'm still okay in the head…my rookie didn't die. I'm still alive. We finished what we went to do…and I can improvise everything so that I can still live a normal life. What's a little limp when I can still manage just fine?"

Grillby nodded slowly. "…then where would you start?""

"Just remind them it's not the end of the world, for now," Jeremiah replied. "Just, in a more gentle manner," he suggested. "Don't drill it in like a certain woman did rather bluntly."

"Clarabelle?" Muffet assumed.

"Yeah…"

"Tact isn't her strong suit," the elemental stated.

Jeremiah breathed out in amusement. "He says tactlessly."

The elemental looked up innocently as Muffet tried to smother her laughter.

"Anyways, the usual for you two?" Jeremiah asked, as the two often came here after a busy day renovating or tending to their relations with humans. They nodded, and he backed off, slowly hobbling away.

"Food for thought, anyways," Muffet murmured. "Though the way their soul mends…"

"Is when we do what he suggests," Grillby replied.

"Speaking of suggestions…"

"Yes?" he questioned.

"…what was 'suggested' earlier…erm…Grillby…" She clasped her hands tight, though her fingers still twitched and tap at the back of her hands. "What he said, um…" A blush started to cross her face, and she looked around. It was late. They were the only ones here now. Slowly, she took her gaze back to him. "…is…is it a date?"

Grillby's flames darkened as he became flustered. "Erm, well, um…" His flames were wavering a bit as he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. Honestly, if she wasn't so embarrassed over this, she would be relishing seeing him actually fazed about something for once. "It's, well…"

The elemental slowly looked back to her, tapping his fingers together. "If it…if it _is_ a date, I certainly wouldn't argue," he mumbled, his flames darkening even further, his words dropping into a mumble.

Muffet nodded slowly as that registered. He wasn't saying anything directly, but he was hinting…

Grillby was quiet, trying to figure out how to put his thoughts into words. "I…do enjoy your company, as well as these outings, but this is not…something I wanted to initiate if you weren't comfortable with…especially with the confusion of you being absent for a year, and…"

He fumbled with his words, unsure of how to wrap it up. "If…you would like it to be a date, then I have absolutely no issue with it…"

"Then…" She looked up shyly with a little smile. "Then…it's a date," she clarified.

"Well, I…erm…well…" He looked down, rubbing the back of his neck again. The spider was pretty sure she saw some smoke coming off him. She's seen him flustered, but this…she was a little worried she just broke him.

"I'm fine," he managed.

She smiled. "Apologies, perhaps I should have waited to clarify this."

"It's been done, too late to change that."

She giggled, feeling a little better, before stopping with a soft gasp, two arms flying to her chest as she felt that now familiar tug. Grillby jerked to attention, realizing that the human soul was emerging. Normally, that was a moment to rejoice—but here, in a human's restaurant, in the middle of a city—it was not a good thing.

He stood, purposely moving himself to hide her from view. "Muffet—"

"Go back, go back, go back," she whispered, guiding it back to her as more of its wound healed. She shuddered, letting it phase back into her chest. The two sighed heavily in relief. "I'm glad they were happy," she managed. "But…"

"We don't need the heart attacks," Grillby managed as he slipped back into his own seat.

"Says the elemental," she replied with a little grin.

"I'll have you know I'm quite capable of such things."

"…that doesn't sound like a perk, though," she stated with a giggle.

"Shh…" he hushed gently, though his flames crackled.

The rest of the night was spent with them talking over dinner—over simpler matters that weren't so confusing. The walk back was the same, but as he brought her back to her home, she stopped and turned. "Well…" she managed, feeling a blush return to her. "I…I don't know where to start this, but…thank you…"

"For…what exactly?"

Muffet smiled. "For…making it a date…"

Instantly, his flames darkened. "It…um…problem, not—not a problem…"

She did her best to not laugh. "At least we're both fumbling."

"You're faring better than me…"

"I've had a little practice, admittedly…just…" She clasped her hands tight. "I was always…fond of you, even when we just talked over the phone…and…it's nice…though I'm a little nervous, for it, but…the idea of it being a little something more…I love the idea, but I'm scared of it at the same time, if that makes any sense."

"I think it does," he replied, though his flames remained dark. "It's…nice to think of having someone…but you meet them, and you like their company…and you would be all right with it being more…but at the same time…you worry that you'll hurt them, or that they'll hurt you at some point if you take that step…it…it makes sense…"

"…well with our mentalities, think we would have gotten anywhere with this on our own?"

"…ages from now, maybe…"

"Then I'm glad Mr. Gerson said that then," she managed, and then covered her face. "Oh, but he has no shame!"

"He doesn't."

"And he said it in front of the kids!"

"That he did."

"Is nothing safe!?"

"He was only hinting a date…?"

She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "No shame, not one little sliver of it." She looked up, peeking between her fingers. "Anyways…I should, probably get going…" She turned, reaching for the door, stepping up onto the small step to it, but as she did, a hand came around her wrist, warmth surrounding it.

She gasped in surprise, turning as Grillby looked to her quietly, before turning away, rubbing the back of his neck again as he stepped forward. "Well…" he murmured, unsure of what to say, or how he would even say it.

He was fortunate, as Muffet caught on to what he wanted. "Oh…" She turned, tapping her free hands together. "Um—yes, that's fine, but um, I don't know how it works—I mean, it's not that I haven't done it before, but with an elemental—um, I'm not quite sure—how um, to go about oh!"

Grillby leaned forward, his free hand coming around her as she instinctively rose on tiptoes to compensate for their height difference, as he kissed her. His pleasant warmth was felt all over her face, but she felt what should have been a mouth—either hidden in his flames, or just him summoning more of a form so that there was something there.

Their eyes closed, and Muffet wasn't exactly sure how long they were like that as two of her arms draped around his neck. All she knew was that it wasn't long enough, when they started to draw back. She felt his hesitance, and awkwardness, unsure if he had gone too far when he cut her off. She grinned, her little fangs gleaming as a spare hand grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him back for another.


	76. Your Turn

Muffet hummed happily the next day as she sat in her parlor. The morning had been spent making pastries, though today, she was admittedly a little giddy still from last night, and was trying to put all the energy into something…that being about five dozen doughnuts, and three crates worth of croissants, and four gallons of cider…she couldn't help it, she had to be doing something! Because if she wasn't focusing on something, she was thinking about…

Muffet giggled, and the spiders looked up at her, confused as to what had her so happy. The last time they had seen her so energetic was when she had enough money to get the other spiders through Snowdin. This was an entirely different kind of happy, and they really weren't sure what to make of it.

Cupcake gave a questioning sound, nudging her leg as he sat beside her. Muffet smiled and knelt down, petting his head happily with a merry hum. That didn't satisfy the creature, but before he could try to figure her out, rushing footsteps and a chorus of shrill barking caught their attention.

In confusion, the spider monster rose to see Dogamy coming into sight, with the five pups scampering about around him. "Mr. Dogamy?" Muffet called in confusion.

The dog slid to a stop while the pups barked happily, all darting about, minus Canis, who was quietly clinging to her father's leg so that she didn't need to walk. The father looked a bit worried, but it morphed to relief as he saw Muffet. "Oh, thank goodness, I need your help!"

"What's going on?" she asked.

"There was a bad storm last night in Snowdin, so the rest of my pack are tending to damages, and making sure everyone else is all right—and I was left with the Pups—except the rest of the Guard called me in. I can't get in contact with my pack. Whether they're out of range, the service isn't working—heck if I know, the point of the matter is!"

He pointed at the pups. "I can't take them to the meeting, but I can't find anyone to look after them for an hour or two."

"Grillby?" she asked.

"He and the rest of our group went down to the city—and since our cellphones don't have reception between here and the city, I can't exactly call them—and even if I could, they're busy…"

"That certainly complicates matters," Muffet murmured. "I would have suggested his niece, but I don't know where she lives, or how to even contact her."

"Neither do I," Dogamy replied. "I was wondering…could you look after them for just a little while? I really don't have anyone else to turn to at the moment."

"Well…" Muffet looked down at the pups as they ran about. "I've never really looked after pups before…let alone a whole litter, but…" She glanced back up. "You are in a bit of a bind…I…I suppose I could manage for a little while."

He sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you! You're a life saver!" He pried the littlest one off his leg, with Muffet quietly taking Canis. "That one should give you the least amount of trouble," he stated. "She's content with cuddling—Beowulf is the rowdiest, make sure he doesn't play too rough—Dogtanian tries to wander off—Dogmatix and Lupus shouldn't cause too much grief…"

Once he told her the basics, he tore off. She looked down at Canis, who had already fallen asleep in her hold, and then looked up at the other four pups as they ran around on the platform. She made an uncertain sound, fretting that she might lose track of them, or that they could fall down into the lower areas.

"Um…dearies!" she called, clapping her lower hands. They jerked, stopping in mid step to look at her. "Follow me; we're going to a safer place to play, all right?" Thankfully for her, they listened, and she swiftly took them to her home, ushering the other four in, with Cupcake scrambling after them.

Once inside, she made her way into the living room. Her home was small, so there wasn't much room for them, but she wasn't about to risk losing any of the pups. She sighed in relief, sitting on the couch, with Cupcake briefly climbing up beside her. The spider smiled, placing a hand on his head. "This should be okay…worse comes to worst, Frisk can fix it," she partially joked.

Then, she sighed. "Actually, that's terrible, let's not have that happen, all right Cupcake?"

He gave a grunt, and then slipped off the couch, quickly inserting himself with the more rowdy pups. Despite his odd appearance, he could easily be compared to a canine at times. He dropped into his form of a play stance, barking as the pups initiated a game with him, and sure enough, they were running in little circles in the living room.

Muffet sighed in relief, grateful for Cupcake's presence. She never really had anything to do with children, so she wasn't sure what to do with the puppies, whereas it was second nature to her pet.

For a while, things were uneventful as she stayed put on the couch with Canis, while Cupcake entertained the other four. Yet, Muffet eventually felt that there was something off. She watched as the pups ran around again. There was Beowulf, Dogmatix, Lupus…three… She frowned. Wait a minute…where was Dogtanian?

There was a sudden crash in the kitchen, followed by a surprised yelp. Muffet gasped as she jumped to her feet, unintentionally jostling Canis awake, who wearily looked up, confused by the sudden commotion. "Oh goodness!" The spider darted into the kitchen to find Dogtanian thankfully unharmed, sitting on the floor.

The crash had been a sugar container that had somehow—somehow been moved from its high place in a top cupboard shelf, to the floor. How the pup got it there, she had no clue—they were still young to be doing magic in general—let alone the others outside of their primary magic type. That wasn't the issue though, the issue was now there was sugar all over the floor…and the pup was eating it.

Muffet lunged for Dogtanian, grabbing her and yanking her off the floor. "No!" she exclaimed. "Don't eat that!" Though it was a little late for that…no sooner had she turned around though, the three remaining pups darted into the kitchen. "Cupcake!" she cried, realizing the issue.

The creature darted into the kitchen, skidding past the pups. The moment he reached her, she placed Canis on his back. "Keep her out of here," she instructed as she held the now rather wriggly Dogtanian as she lunged for the other pups that were lapping at the sugar. She yanked them into the living room, plopping all four on the couch. "Cupcake—I need you to keep them out of the kitchen!" she exclaimed.

Cupcake skittered into the entryway blockading it as much as he could with his girth, sidestepping to one side or the other when the pups got close. Muffet worked in a panic, cleaning up as fast as she could. Sugar wasn't deadly—but now there were four puppies that ate some—and she knew that was probably not the best thing that could happen.

Thankfully, Cupcake was able to keep them out of the kitchen long enough for Muffet to clean up the mess, but by that point, the sugar was well into their systems, and they were getting more rowdy than usual. Sure enough, Cupcake was tackled, with Canis digging her claws into him as he fell, unwilling to be sent to the floor.

He yelped as he got tramped over, the pups yapping loudly as they started to run all over the place. "Oh dear!" The next twenty minutes were of Muffet desperately trying to keep the pups out of trouble as they got into places they really shouldn't be. Whether it be cupboards or closets, the bathroom, or the pantry, the spider was run ragged trying to keep the four out of trouble.

Canis silently watched from her perch on the concerned Cupcake. Her siblings were moving so much…and she couldn't be bothered. The little girl yawned, and then curled up on her current resting place, decided to sleep through the whole thing—which Muffet was grateful for.

Muffet yanked another pup off the counter, sending them back to the living room, only to hear a knock on the door, she gasped, releasing them, ignoring them as they scampered back toward the kitchen where the others were. She flew to the door, opening it, and grabbed Dogamy by the collar because he could even manage a hello.

She yanked him in, slamming the door shut as she did so, rising up on tiptoes as she forced his head to her level. "Help. Me!"

"Muffet—?"

"They're everywhere!"

With that, she yanked the canine off to the kitchen, where he was greeted to four fur balls making a mess of things. "What even happened!?" he demanded.

"One of them got into the sugar!"

"How!?"

"You tell me! It was in a cupboard on the top shelf! _I_ have trouble reaching that!"

"But—"

"This is my first time babysitting!" she exclaimed. "What did you think was going to happen!? I'm just glad they're all accounted for!"

With that, the two went to grab the rampaging pups. Dogamy wrested one out of a cupboard, while Muffet snatched one that was somehow about to fall into her sink. They moved into the living room, plopping them down on the couch, with Dogamy quickly snatching one that was about to dart into Muffet's room. "I don't think so, Lad," he stated sternly to Lupus as he carried him back. "Well, that's three, who are we missing…?"

He looked them over, and then sighed. "Dogtanian…of course…where did she go?"

"She has to be in the kitchen somewhere…"

With that, the two re-entered, checking cupboards and counters, with Muffet inspecting her room, while Dogamy warily looked about the small bathroom. Finding nothing, Muffet frowned, looking at the ajar door on the pantry. "Oh no…" she muttered, pointing towards it.

Dogamy glanced to it, and sighed as they approached, opening the door fully into the small room. "Now where are you…?" Dogamy muttered as they both stepped in. They peered around the lower shelves for the pup, but they couldn't spot her. Muffet paused as she felt something spilling onto her shoulder.

The canine's ears twitched, before they both looked up—crying out in alarm a moment later as a torn bag of flour came crashing down on them. Thankfully for Muffet, Dogamy was taller one and took brunt of it, though both fell all the same. Dogamy fell on his rump from the weight of the flour bag dropping on him out of nowhere, and Muffet dropped to her knees in surprise.

The two coughed harshly, the upper half of their body covered in flour. Muffet felt around blindly, managing to find a cloth in her pocket to wipe her eyes clear of the flour, and then offered it to Dogamy. Once he cleared his vision, they both looked up to see that Dogtanian had somehow gotten up onto the upper shelves.

Along the way, she had put her claws into the flour bag, but then decided that the shelf wasn't big enough for the two of them. Dogtanian yelped as blue magic suddenly came around her, and Dogamy snatched her down. "Got you!"

"Good," Muffet managed; coughing some more as they both escaped the pantry.

"I'm sorry about this," Dogamy managed. "I don't know how they're getting around so much."

She gave another cough. "Might be developing magic early?" she guessed. "Doesn't matter, I'm just glad we got them all…" she continued as they entered the living room to see Cupcake running in circles to escape the wild pups.

Dogamy sighed, adjusting his hold on the squirming girl, before scooping up Canis, placing her on his shoulders, before, one by one, he swiftly scooped up all the boys, holding most of them upside down by a leg. "I'll get these trouble makers out of your hair," he murmured, dipping his head apologetically.

Muffet nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep them out of trouble…"

He shook his head. "Don't be sorry, they made a mess of the place…if there is any…?"

She waved him off. "I'll clean up," she assured. "Just…will probably no longer allow puppies in my parlor until they're older."

"That is understandable…" he murmured sheepishly, finally taking his leave.

The door closed, and Muffet dropped to her knees out of exhaustion, grabbing onto Cupcake as he came up beside her. "That could have gone better," she mumbled into him. Cupcake gave a whine, wanting to lick her in assurance, but…thought better of it as she was still covered in flour.

She gave an exasperated moan, sitting up fully as she looked down at herself. "Who knew puppies could be so troublesome?" she murmured. She slowly stood, heading back into the kitchen. "Well, guess we'll clean up, take a shower, and call it done," she muttered.

However, no sooner was she done cleaning up the spill and anything else in the house the pups caused; there was a knock on the door. The still flour coated spider looked up in confusion. Who else…

The realization smacked her in the face and she gave a shrill gasp of alarm. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, causing Cupcake to slide into the kitchen as she started frantically pacing. "Oh no—oh no—oh no—how could I forget!? Grillby was supposed to come find me when he was done in the city today!"

"Oh what to do—what to do—what to do—" Another knock came and she muffled a yelp. Then, with a soft sigh of defeat, she moved over to the door, grabbing it, and slowly turning the handle. The door opened slowly, and just enough for her to poke her head out. "Um…"

Grillby blinked in surprise at the sight. "Muffet…?"

"I—erm—Dogamy needed someone to look after the pups and then they got into the sugar and all just went downhill from there," she stammered swiftly.

He paused, and then chuckled softly. "Am I talking to a ghost spider then?" he teased.

Muffet blushed harshly. "Ermm—I—um—I'll clean up—be right back!" Without giving it a second thought, she slammed the door shut, not even realizing she had locked him out on the porch for however long it would take to get all that flour off her…and unfortunately, it wasn't an easy task.

Grillby stared at the door silently for several long moments, before giving a happy hum.

"Cute."

* * *

That night, in Snowdin, Doggo was resting peacefully in his home…that was, until he heard some knocking. Doggo groaned, waking up to his black world. "What time is it?" he muttered, looking around, until he caught white movement in his vision. For Doggo, most of the time, he saw magical energy, but when it came to the movement of inanimate objects, they showed up as white in his strange vision.

What was in his vision, was a specially made clock, where the hands constantly trembled, so that he would know what time it was. "It's midnight," he muttered. "Who the heck is it?" He looked to the door, registering that it was moving slightly from whoever was knocking. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" he called.

He trekked over, opening the door, pausing as four Aqua, and two orange forms came into his vision. "…Dogamy?"

The father was hold three of his squirming pups, while two more clung to his legs. He stepped forward, plopping them into Doggo's arms. "They had sugar—and it hasn't worn off. Your turn."

He was beyond exhausted, and Doggo decided not to test what was left of his patience. "Oh—um, okay! Pups, I guess it's a sleep—wow!" The other two suddenly launched themselves at him, knocking him to the floor, and just like that, he was abandoned to his fate of entertaining four sugar-high children.

Late the next morning, Dogamy came trekking back to his brother's home. After being run ragged by the pups all day, he _had_ to give them to their Uncle. He rubbed his eyes, feeling somewhat refreshed after being able to sleep. He knocked on Doggo's door…there was a quiet response, and he opened it, blinking in surprise.

On a rug in the center of the room, Doggo was curled up around the litter. The husky raised his head tiredly. "Do you have any clue of when they fell asleep?" Doggo demanded.

"No…?"

"Five. Minutes. Ago."

"…Dogaressa is going to kill me."

"Not if I get you first."


	77. Error

"Well," Mettaton started as he walked with the others down in the city. "Today was a little easier on us. And we got to run a test~" The robot hummed happily.

Muffet giggled at his enthusiasm. "Yes, it's good to know you finally have it so that our cell phones can connect to their network."

"It just took a little cooperation from William," Mettaton assured. "Though now, we can stay in contact, even down here, which will do wonders, I'm sure."

Frisk gave a tired hum as they leaned slightly against Gerson's neck, their eyes drooping, while Napstablook floated above the group. Grillby and Muffet walked together just slightly ahead.

It was late evening, with the sun already below the horizon, leaving only a little light left in the sky, as night settled in.

Grillby nodded. "The meetings aren't as frequent, so even when we are called down; it's no longer as overwhelming as it had been…"

"Which is quite a relief," Muffet murmured. "William may be polite enough to let us have our say, but the other humans always try to talk over us."

Napstablook nodded. "Though too bad Dogamy got held up…but with one of his pups sick, it's understandable…and it's a little weird to not have Rex with us…"

"Their family was doing something today," Frisk replied quietly.

Gerson chuckled. "I suppose Frisk has to share them," he teased.

The child gave a quiet grumble of complaint, causing the rest of the group to stifle their laughter. They continued their trek, starting to enter the residential ring of the city, before they all heard the distant wail of sirens.

Grillby looked up, not even noticing that he had drawn the spider monster close. They weren't in sight of the source; however, they halted their movements fully when they found an odd light source amongst the buildings a few streets over.

Muffet frowned. "…is that…?" she asked worriedly.

Napstablook soared up above them, before suddenly racing back down. "Oh no—there's a building on fire—it looks pretty bad!"

Grillby went still for a moment, looking around. "This is where most of the humans live—there could still be people inside—we need to go!" Frisk yelped in alarm as the whole group hurried, before they glanced at Gerson with concern, asking him if it was a good idea for a fire elemental to be going to such a place.

"Heh, actually," Gerson stated. "That's exactly where he should be headed. He can't get hurt by the fire—and he can even help tame it. All he has to worry about is water, remember?"

Frisk pointed out that human firefighters would have that.

"He's aware," Gerson replied. "That's usually how we combat our fires—but elementals like him have a slight advantage despite their appearance."

The fusion gave a sound of uncertainty, and opted to just go with it, as they had saved prior, and the monsters should have a clue as to what they're doing.

Upon cutting through some of the yards and back streets, the monsters discovered the fire. It was a small apartment building, flames dancing on the other side of broken windows, threatening to spill out if not contained.

There was one firetruck already on the scene, with the firefighters trying to combat the flames in the entryway. Grillby studied the situation, and then started heading toward a firefighter still by the truck, needing answers before he could do anything.

"Sir?" he demanded as he marched over, his appearance making the human jump in alarm before realizing he was talking to an elemental. "Are there any humans still trapped within the building?"

It took a moment for the fireman to gather himself. "We—we're not sure, most managed to get out before it got out of hand, but this is an apartment, people could be anywhere—"

"There's four," Napstablook suddenly cut it. "There's four souls still in there," they clarified, as they flew closer. "Two are really close together on the second floor, the other two are in the back of the building, but spread out."

Grillby glanced to the upper floors. "The two upstairs—there might be an injured one—or they could already be trapped by the flames." He turned back to the fireman. "Please, allow us to be of assistance."

"You!?" the fireman exclaimed. "You're the last one I need by that building, you're _made_ of fire!"

"I choose what I set on fire," Grillby stated swiftly. "And as a fire elemental, I can _absorb_ flames. As strange as it appears, I would be helping, not hindering what you're trying to do."

"He's right," Mettaton replied. "Over the years in the Underground, some of our firefighters were elementals like him.

The firefighter still hesitated. "But I…what if…"

Muffet frowned and marched over, raising herself on tiptoes. "Now is not the time to have suspicions about our intentions!" she exclaimed. "You have monsters who can't be harmed by fire offering their help—let them! If we were up to no good, we're certainly drawing a lot of attention to ourselves—don't you think?" she asked, fangs gleaming in the light of the fire.

The firefighter caved in. "All right—all right—what do you need?"

"All I need," the elemental stated evenly. "Is for you to stop hosing the entry way long enough for me to get in."

The fireman nodded, while Mettaton broke away from the group, with Napstablook sailing straight into the building to find one of the souls. The robot intended to go around to see if he could break in from the back, but he paused briefly, watching as Grillby raced forward, the others staying behind, as they had no protection from the fire.

He raced to the doorway, halting a few feet away, before reaching out with a hand, and slowly pulling back. The flames in the entryway were drawn to him, practically leaping to his extending arm as he made them a part of his being. He kept at it, until the entryway was clear, though his flames were dancing erratically from absorbing that much. Once he was in, Mettaton continued on his way.

Grillby looked around wildly, examining the building. There were path ways in almost every direction, but what caught his attention, were the stairs. He hurriedly darted up them, unhindered by flames lapping at his limbs, or by the smoke that would have otherwise been suffocating him.

He reached the top, looking worriedly around. He didn't know what started the fire, but it had certainly spread out fast… "Is anyone here!?" he called, before raising his hands to his head, listening intently.

It was faint—but he caught it—the sound of crying. Swiftly, the elemental moved through the hall, and then found the issue. Some of the roof had collapsed in, blocking several doorways. The elemental snarled a little, blue flames dancing within the other colors as a white flamed frown appeared.

He grabbed at the fallen debris, his flames coating it, swiftly turning it to ashes. He swiftly opened one door after another, until finally; he found the room with the occupants. Most of the room had been sent to flames, but in the back, a woman was huddled against a wall, and it took only a moment for the elemental to realize she was holding a little baby.

"Madame?" he called, heading toward her. She jerked her head up in alarm, and tried to get away. "Calm down," he instructed, stopping a few feet from her, his hands up in surrender. "I'm not going to hurt you," he insisted.

He was not surprised when she didn't calm down. It was understandable. Her home was on fire, and then a creature made of that element was approaching her. The idea that he set the home on fire wouldn't be too far-fetched either.

"Madame," he repeated. "You must calm down—if you don't come with me, you _will_ perish. The firefighters are still trying to keep the entryway clear."

"No!" the frantic woman cried, trying to somehow push herself further away, despite the wall that halted her attempts. "Stay away from us!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Grillby stated, taking slow cautious steps forward. He was in arm's reach, and extended a hand. "I'm asking you to trust me. Your little one will succumb to the smoke soon if we don't do anything."

Instinctively, she held her child closer, warily looking at him as he quietly stood there, hand extended. She didn't have much in the way of options. The only way out was past the element, and if she stayed…she and the child would certainly die. Slowly…nervously, she reached out with a finger, touching his hand and pulling back swiftly.

Except…there had been no pain. She inspected her hand, seeing no signs of a burn. She swallowed nervously and then reached forward again, taking his hand. He gently pulled her to her feet, and then, with little warning, scooped her up effortlessly. "Just focus on your child," the elemental stated. "Allow me to handle the rest."

She said nothing, curling slightly in his hold to further shelter her child. He hurried out of the room, intending to take the stairs, but just before reaching them, he heard the cracking. The elemental gasped and jumped back as more of the building gave way. The woman screamed, and the baby wailed as debris fell into the stairwell.

The elemental stared at the new burning wreckage. There was no way he could get close enough to burn that all away without harm coming to the humans. He looked around. There was nowhere safe to put them either. The debris had him efficiently trapped if he wanted to use the stairwell down. It even blocked off the other areas, trapping him in the one wing, thus leaving only a few rooms to move around in—all of which were on fire.

Grillby frowned, thinking rapidly, before an idea came to him. Switching his hold on the human, he grabbed his cell phone.

Muffet gasped as her phone rang. Due to not doing well against fire, or having anything to combat, she was force to watch from outside. Hastily, she grabbed it, opening it. "H—Hello?"

"Muffet," Grillby managed as he moved swiftly. "I need you to make a net by the front windows."

"W—what!?"

"NOW!" the elemental cried as he jumped, turning so that his back met glass, a window shattering.

Muffet whipped her head up with a cry, summing her magic swiftly, a net forming as the elemental crashed out a window, falling with his back to the ground as he held the two humans close.

He fell into the net, her threads strengthening fully to cushion his fall without breaking. "Grillby!" she screamed, lowering the net as she rushed forward, along with some firefighters. By the time it reached the ground, he was already seated on the edge with the two humans, gently handing the shaken humans to a fire fighter.

Before he could do anything else though, Muffet leapt at him, causing him to draw his arms around her as she grabbed his shoulders, shaking him roughly. "Idiot! Don't you _ever_ do that again!" Each syllable was separated by each shake, before she finally stopped, raising herself on her knees so that they were at eye level.

"Muffet—"

"I thought you were doing to die in there!"

"How? I can't get caught on fire!"

"You could have suffocated—you could have been crushed—or you could have been hit by water—or—oh!"

He placed a finger over her lips to shush her as he leaned close, adjusting the spider on his lap. "I'm all right," he assured. "Now, I hate to cut our reunion short, but I absorbed a lot of flames, and I'll need to expel it, so please stand back."

"R—right…"

Tenderly, he set her down, letting her back away as he stood, grabbing the net, and slowly burning it. Usually, he would have just expelled it all in one fell swoop, but he didn't want to startle the onlookers.

He turned his head as Napstablook suddenly came flying into sight, carrying a little child. "Oh…Mr. Firefighter!" they called, swooping down to the truck with the little one. "They were all alone in there—I'm not sure if they're hurt. Oh no, I'm sorry, I probably wasn't supposed to take them to you…"

"Good enough," the human replied, taking the child, looking them over. "It looks like they just breathed in some smoke, but they should be fine."

"Oh…" The ghost sank to the ground in relief. "That's good…oh…that's good to hear…"

The elemental turned the other way as he heard metal clanking, and Mettaton came back from around the building, this time, carrying an elderly man. "Stay with me," the robot demanded as he tried to move to the firefighters. He opted to loop around the commotion, which caused onlookers and news reporters to cluster around him, and despite his love for the camera…he didn't want that right now.

"Excuse me—out of my way—I'M CARRYING A PATIENT!" he suddenly exclaimed, trying to move through the swarm of humans. Hands landed on him, likely news reporters trying to get his attention. The robot flinched, feeling a foreign jolt in his shoulder—something akin to a static shock, but he shrugged it off, trekking over to the firefighters.

The rest of it was a blur. With the humans out, the firefighters were free to focus solely on the fire. At some point, even William, Michael, and Clarabelle showed up, and opted to remove the monsters from the scene to lessen the commotion, which the monsters appreciated.

They were taken to the Capital Building, and once there, most were being tended to in one room, where those who weren't in the fire were resting in the next room over, watching the news. Gerson hummed, looking Mettaton over. "Aside from some scratched paint, I don't see anything wrong with you. Ya seem to be moving fine."

"I told you I was unharmed," the robot replied, shaking his head with a smile. "Though I appreciate the concern." He glanced over to Napstablook and Grillby. "And aside from being drained, you two are all right."

"It was taxing to deal with all that extra fire," Grillby admitted.

"And I had to phase the child through a wall," Napstablook mumbled. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't go apologizing!" the robot exclaimed, tossing his hands up in exasperation.

William chuckled tiredly from where he sat across from them. "I'm just glad you three are all right…thank you for rushing in there, we might have had casualties had you not done so."

Grillby smiled tiredly. "Glad to help…you three certainly came fast."

William snorted, looking wearily over to the other humans. "Michael and I tried—Clarabelle was there long before us."

"She was?" Napstablook asked. "I didn't see her…"

"I was nearby," she replied. "I live just a few streets away, but until they saved everyone inside, there was little I could do, so I hung back."

"Ah, that's right," Mettaton replied. "Your Aqua Magic could contain the fire and just choke it out."

"Did you have to phrase it like that?" the elemental asked.

"Sorry," the robot replied sheepishly.

Clarabelle nodded her agreement. "Yes, I was able to aid in putting out a room or so, but at that point, they had it under control."

There was a shout of exclamation from the other room, and they turned their heads in surprise to see Muffet slide into the entryway. "Grillby!" she shouted. "It's horrible!"

"What is it!?" he demanded as he stood.

"Oh, all of you need to see it for yourself!"

They looked to each other in confusion, before hurrying over to see what the fuss was. It was the television that her so riled, and after a moment's glance, they could see why.

"—as you can see in the footage here, the monsters _contributed_ to the fire, putting the lives of occupants in jeopardy."

"Wh…what?" Grillby managed, stunned by what he was looking at. It wasn't a real surprise that they got recorded—that was not the issue…the issue that what he was looking at was _not_ what happened.

Instead of it looking like he had absorbed the flames…the film made it look like he was _casting_ the flames into the building.

"What is this!?" Muffet demanded, pointing angrily at the footage. "If you try to tell me that's what happened, I swear—"

"Hold on a moment," Mettaton replied as he approached the television, studying the footage, scanning it for every detail, before catching something. He turned, and faced the others with a smirk. "Oh, I see the game that's being played here."

"Oh dear," William murmured, a hand on his head. "I'm guessing you'll want a phone number?"

"If you would be so kind?" Mettaton asked, his smile remaining. After a few minutes of hunting down a number, the robot called in, a strong air of confidence rising in him. Soon enough, he was talking to one of the news casters live. "Yes," the robot murmured. "I'd like to make a comment about the footage…I see something rather suspicious in the upper left corner of it."

He was talking carefully, making sure his electronic voice sounded as normal as possible. "Perhaps you could zoom in on it and play it again…hm, no, zoom closer into the corner…one more time…" Mettaton smirked. "Well, I'll be darned. I had no idea debris could fall _up_."

Mettaton leaned against the wall, knowing he had the figurative spotlight now. "My, what a startling development. This footage is playing in reverse. This means that monster isn't sending fire in—he's taking it out. My, I hope that was just the lot of you in rush for footage and didn't check the contents well. If you want, I can send untampered footage, as I'd hate to hear that it was someone on the editing floor, my, that would put a damper on your credibility—"

At nearly the same time, both the feed on the television, and the connection on the phone, were cut. Gerson smirked. "Look who just told some pesky humans off."

Frisk cheered happily, while Muffet clapped her hands. "Bravo, Sir. I'm glad you were able to clear that up before it went off the air."

"That was really amazing, Mettaton," Napstablook stated quietly.

Grillby looked over to the robot in relief. "Thank you…"

William sighed, running a hand over his face. "Clarabelle, write that station down, we'll have to have a word about this…"

"As you wish, Leader," she replied.

"Yeesh," Michael muttered. "Can't believe how low they stooped. I never liked reporters like that. They're the kind who will make _anything_ news."

Grillby shook his head. "What irritates me is that they're purposely throwing us in a bad light. Their story would have worked just as well by telling it as it was."

"The good news," William murmured tiredly. "Is that the people who were there know for a fact that you did the right thing. The onlookers, the fire fighters, and those you rescued…they know what really happened…"

"At least there's that," Muffet replied. "The right word will get around eventually…"

Mettaton nodded. "That's good," he murmured, his hand going to his shoulder, before he jerked, a spasm rolling through his form.

Napstablook whirled. "Mettaton?" they asked in concern.

"I must have knocked a servo loose," the robot replied. "I'll tend to it when we get back—" His eyes flickered, his vision glitching as an inner computer voice started to speak.

' _Error…_ '

He dropped to his knees, his vision glitching again. One moment, everyone was seated—the next, they were starting to cluster around him.

' _Error…_ '

"Mettaton…?" Blooky's voice…but it sounded like it was underwater, and far away.

' _Error…_ '

His vision glitched again, numbers racing before his eyes as Napstablook hovered before him worriedly.

' _Unknown software detected…_ '

"Bl—Bl—Blooky," Mettaton stuttered, his voice starting to fail him.

' _Unknown software detected…_ '

His arms shook harshly, threatening to send him all the way to the floor.

' _Software overriding original programming…_ '

"Some—Something's—Something Wr—wr—ro—ro—ng…." the robot managed. "Ne—Need to—to—"

' _Unable to counteract software…_ '

"Mettaton!"

' _Initiating emergency file movement to prevent infection to core data._ '

"Frisk, get over here—we need to teleport him!" the ghost exclaimed.

"But the shortcuts are over there—and he's heavy!"

"Then help me carry him!" the ghost cried.

' _Unknown software—detect—de—detect—ed—detected._

"Pro—pr—pro—gr—amm—gram—ing…" Mettaton struggled to say anything at all as others tried to move him. "M—mal—fun—malfunc—tion—tion…"

' _S—so—softwa—wa—ware ov—ov—over ri—riding—ing—ing ori—origin—ginal—al program—gram—graming—ing…_

"Th—think…v—vi—virus…" Mettaton stammered, while Frisk whirled, tail trashing.

"A virus!?" the child exclaimed, but it was Alphys who was panicking.

' _Unable—able—to—count—counter—eract—eract soft—software—ware—counter—unable—ware—_

"Sp—re—ad—ing…"

"Mettaton!" On Alphys's urge, Frisk rushed forward grabbing onto him as they moved him. "Come on—fight it—whatever it is, fight back!"

"Ca—n't counter—coun—er—act"

"COUNTER IT!" Frisk screeched, their tail thrashing.

' _Initi—at—at—ing file emergency—infection pre—prevent pre—data core—coreda…ta… mentmove—to—to—_ '

"Lo—losing…con—trol—trol con…ing lo…"

' _Error—error—_ _ **e**_ _r_ _ **r**_ _o_ _ **r**_ _!_ '

Mettaton clattered to the floor.

"NEO!"

 **'Original programming overridden…new programming…initiated.'**


	78. Cut off Cries

"Mettaton!" Frisk exclaimed, trying to lift his head off the floor, while Napstablook rushed to his aid.

William started to move forward, a hand to his head, before he paused, eyes widening. He grabbed his assistant, shoving her into Michael, who, on instinct, already went to shield her. "GET DOWN!" he suddenly exclaimed, trying to summon his magic.

The robot was suddenly on his feet, his eyes oddly blank, a shrill sonic sound emitted from him, rendering everyone to their knees as they focused more on covering their hearing. It was so fast—too fast—as he backhanded Frisk, who cried out, tumbling across the ground, a good fourth of their health suddenly gone from the unexpected attack. In the same motion, his other hand ended up on the television set—an electrical surge passing from his hand, and into it.

The whole building went pitch black, efficiently blinding everyone. All except for Napstablook, who could still see the robot's soul. They tried to ignore the noise that seemed to pierce into their very being, and flew at him, in their fear and panic for their cousin, they weren't as wary as they should have been. With their defenses low, it caught them off guard when a discharge was sent through them, a touch of magic to help it along.

The ghost cried out, and everything went black.

* * *

"…Blook…? Napsta…? Napstablook…? Napstablook? Napstablook!" The ghost groaned softly, opening their eyes, blinking several times to clear their vision as Frisk looked down at them worriedly.

The ghost groaned, sitting up, seeing that they had been placed on the couch "Oh…" they groaned, before looking around, realizing that their cousin was missing. "Oh no…oh no!" They suddenly sprung into the air. "Mettaton—where's Mettaton!?" the ghost demanded.

"Napstablook," Grillby called. "Calm down…" The ghost slowly sunk back down to the couch, stirring restlessly. "We're…not sure…we couldn't do much with that sound he emitted. By the time we could move and see what was going on…you were on the floor, and he was gone."

Napstablook looked around at the other monsters. They seemed to be faring all right… "How long was I…?"

"About an hour," Gerson responded. "Heh, for a shrill noise, it shouldn't have done much to me…"

"But what was that, even?" Muffet demanded, hands on her hips.

William looked up from where he was resting, a major concerned look on his face. "I wouldn't mind knowing as well," he stated quietly as Michael hung close, and Clarabelle returned from elsewhere with drinks.

Frisk's tail flicked nervously and the way they held themselves changed as they hunkered down, tapping their fingers together as their tail started to coil around themselves. "U—um…when his body was built—I knew he wasn't going to be built for fighting, so I…I made him an emergency defense function."

The fusion looked up worriedly. "That sound…it distorts magic for several seconds. It's meant as a last resort, like, if he was surrounded by magic wielders. It would halt their magical attacks to give him a chance to escape, as his body would protect him. O—of course, it's useless when he's fighting alongside others, because it can't discriminate, but I ne—never thought, th—that it would be used li—like that…"

Napstablook rose up. "Mettaton was saying something about a virus," they stated. "What was going on, Alphys?"

"I—I'm not sure," the fusion stammered. "The idea that he could ob—obtain a virus was odd—but I had made pro—protection programs against monster viruses when I cr—created him…"

Grillby folded his arms. "Then it wasn't a monster virus."

Michael looked up in confusion. "Are you saying he got a human computer virus? How?"

"It doesn't make sense for the monsters to be undermining their kingdom right now," Grillby replied. "In short—I highly doubt it was a monster, and if it wasn't a monster, that leaves us with few options as to what else it could have been."

Muffet nodded. "No offense to you three, but other humans have not been so kind to us…"

Michael sighed. "They have a point with that…"

"There's still the matter of when and where he got that virus…" Muffet murmured.

Napstablook rose up. "It doesn't matter when or where—we have to find him first!"

"Easier said than done," William murmured. "In an hour's time? He could be anywhere…"

The ghost shook their form, and began to move. Grillby paused, a snap in his flames. "Where are you going?"

"To find Mettaton," the ghost stated simply. "I know his soul; I could detect it from a distance."

"And then what?"

"…I'll shut him down," Napstablook stated quietly.

"How do you think you're going to do that?" Gerson demanded.

"I can phase into him and turn him off from the inside."

Muffet frowned. "What if he activates the sound again?"

"If he's being controlled by a virus—I doubt it'll mean he can sense me…I'll sneak up on him."

Grillby sighed. "We do need to find him quickly," he agreed. "But I rather you not go alone…"

"I'm the only one who can cover the most ground this quickly," the ghost countered. "I'll contact you when I find him."

"…we'll do that then," Grillby reluctantly agreed. "Just…if there's trouble, you come back, understood?"

The ghost bobbed their form, and then ducked out through a wall, going to search for their now missing cousin.

Muffet bit her lip in worry. "Alphys…"

"Yes?" the fusion stammered.

"Will Mettaton be all right?" she asked. "Even with a virus?"

"In theory," Alphys replied. "I made it so that if a strong virus got in—his programming would put his sense of self as top priority. If ev—everything is functioning, Mettaton should be safely dormant under the virus's pro—programming…get rid of the virus…and he comes back on top."

Muffet nodded. "At least there's a chance…" She then knelt down, cupping the fusion's face gently. "Are you all okay? That was a rough hit you took…"

"We're fine," the fusion assured. "Your cider helped out…"

* * *

Napstablook flew over the city, quietly keeping a safe distance from the ground, not wanting to get in the range of any attacks. _Mettaton…_ they mumbled. They didn't understand how this had even happened…and… _…you looked scared…_ They quivered in agitation. Whoever made that virus…the ghost wished to give them a piece of their mind.

That was _their_ cousin, and no one was allowed to mess with him!

 _Come on, Mettaton…where are you?_ the ghost murmured anxiously. They swooped down over a building, slowing their flight and turning in a tight circle as they scanned for his soul…nothing…

The ghost wasn't about to give up—and for several more hours, they flew over the city, constantly searching for their cousin's soul. Eventually, they caught it. Napstablook gasped, turning sharply, making a beeline for it, intended to just fly straight to it—but then they halted, realizing that Mettaton was now in a building.

At this point, Napstablook was in some unused area of the small business district, and was now looking at what might have been a factory of sorts. For what—they didn't know, as the sign had long since been taken down. The ghost flew closer, and then paused again, noting that Mettaton's soul was staying in place—but was surrounded by human souls.

Some were clustered around him…others were spread out through the building. Security; apparently. Napstablook frowned. It no longer seemed like they could get away with just turning Mettaton off. No, Napstablook would need to get around the security to get to their cousin. They thought it over…and then their frown morphed into an eerie smile. "Oh no…" they murmured. "…I hope they're not afraid of the dark." With that, the ghost vanished completely from sight.

Within the building, guards patrolled hallways, and one room remained very well protected. On the other side of the building, there was a security room, full of cameras that seemed to cover the whole very well-lit building.

That was, until the screens suddenly filled with static. A terrifying expression overcame the static—one that would have given Flowey a run for his money—then—the power went out. The emergency power kicked on, but within that moment, the humans in that room could only cry out in terror as something lunged at them all—their cries quickly ceasing.

The emergency power was…inadequate in most of the building, as the room where Mettaton was kept had been prioritized. The halls were dimly lit to the point that the humans were better off with flash lights of their own. Most heard the cut off cries, and were now clenching their weapons tight as they stared down the dim hall, the lights flickering harshly.

There were more cries from down the hall as a nightmare began moving down. The humans at the far end guarding the door trembled; unsure of what was happening. They pressed their backs against the door, breathing heavily, some of the lights in the hall suddenly refusing to work at all.

Something moved in the darkness—and they could only catch vague glimpses of its form when the lights attempted to work. There was the sound of something sliding along the floor, and yet, there were thuds as well as a gurgling growl emitting from the blackness.

Bullets fired…but the creature continued to move, unharmed by those little pieces of metal.

An appendage lashed out of the darkness, wrapping around a human. They gave a startled cry as they were wrenched away, the blackness seeming to devour them. There was a feral cry from the beast—and then the human was silent.

The last human between the thing and the door quivered, his legs threatening to give out. He heard the clatter of claws as the thing moved. Something slithered as well, and then, another appendage shot out, wrapping around his torso, squeezing tight, choking the breath out of him—silencing a cry that tried to escape his lips.

He was wrenched forward into the dark, his eyes were wide, trying to absorb what was hiding from his vision. Slowly, his eyes adjusted enough to make out a terrifying maw. Oversized fangs loomed before him, an odd saliva coated them with a slight glow. The nightmare gave a snort—but its breath was beyond cold, like it was winter itself.

The thing—that nightmare—gave a gurgling grow as it held him close—making him seem so horribly small, just a toy in its grasp. Surprisingly, it spoke, its words garbled, and one had to focus as it stressed each word, like it was actually difficult to talk.

" **G** _i_ **v** e…"

" _M **y**_ …"

" _ **C** o **u** s **i** n_…"

" _ **B** a **c** k…_"

"N **o** w!"

There was a snarl, and the human was shook roughly—the last thing he saw, before his vision went black, were the fangs closing in. There was a thud as the human was dropped carelessly to the floor, and the creature slowly headed to the door, claws scraping the floor of the dark hallway littered with bodies sprawled all over.

* * *

Inside the other room, the robot was deactivated, resting on a table, strapped to it to prevent any sudden movement.

 _Core data quarantined…_

Mettaton's soul reacted as his presence began to rouse deep within. What…?

 _Unknown software scanned. Unknown software has attempted to overwrite original programming…back up programming on standby…standby…_

Not much time…

 _Emergency control can be given—max time before virus takes over again…approximately fifteen minutes…_

Fifteen minutes…it wasn't much…

 _Action is advised—potential possibility to be disassembled…_

Disassembled…no… Mettaton wasn't sure what was going on, but if he was going to go down—he was going down fighting! They had to try, and with that, he made his choice!

There was a pause as he floated in the black—then his vision restored—not that it told him much as all he could see was a blinding light. He turned his head—just in time to see the door be busted, his quick vision allowing him to track the movement as it was sent flying across the room, over his head, and into the other wall.

Mettaton turned with a gasp to see little Napstablook flying in with a surprise sound as he saw his cousin. "Mettaton!"

"B—Blooky!"

Napstablook flew over, phasing the robots limbs through the straps. "Can you move!?" Humans from the room were closing in…and Mettaton moved swiftly.

"Blooky!" He sprung up, his movement fully recovered. He grabbed the ghost, sheltering them as he spun. There was the sound of metal shifting, and the next thing the humans knew, the robot fired a canon that was built into his arm, taking one of them out.

Napstablook gasped. "You finished that!? Oh no…that would have made a marvelous debut on camera…"

The robot snarled, drawing his hand back. "I KNOW!" he exclaimed, kicking at another human as he came off the table. "AND I HAVE TO WASTE IT ON THESE PIGS!"

The ghost was quiet for a moment as they perched themselves on the robot's shoulders. "…are you still going to give them an encore?"

Mettaton smirked as his canon finished charging back up. "But of course, Darling." He fired again, managing to take two humans—one of which seemed to have been oddly yanked into the path of the weapon.

Napstablook turned as they heard a human trying to run away. "Mettaton!" they cried. The robot turned to attention as the human suddenly cried out, being yanked back into the room by blue magic. The robot smirked, grabbing the human.

"I don't think you're going anywhere," the robot practically purred, before knocking them out. "Blooky, I'm on a time limit here," Mettaton started as they took down the last human in the room. "I'm on an emergency thing, and that virus will take over soon."

"Here, let's phase you out of here, and get you as far as possible," Napstablook replied. "We'll call the others—the moment you feel that virus, I'm shutting you down, I'm sure we can figure out something!"

Mettaton smiled. "I know you will, Blooky…thank you…"

The little ghost smiled for a moment. "…let's go…" With that, the ghost phased them out of the building. Napstablook called for the others and then made their way for the capital—though they didn't get far before Mettaton felt the virus coming back. Napstablook turned, and sighed softly. "I'm sorry…"

They flew into the robot, phasing through his chest, wincing as they caught him with their blue magic so that he wouldn't fall roughly to the ground. Napstablook kept put, calling the group again to inform them of the newer situation. It didn't take long for them to be found, though it was all mostly a blur.

It turned out some of the group had headed off to the building to figure out what was going on there, while a few others came to grab them. Frisk rushed over with Gerson, the two aiding to get him to a short cut, with Alphys taking the lead as they looked at the deactivated robot with concern.

Things didn't go too smoothly though, as sirens filled the air again just before they vanished into their shortcut. It wasn't long before Napstablook had to pick up their cellphone, while the fusion and Felix began working on aiding Mettaton.

"Napstablook," Grillby's voice came quietly. "Just before we got there, the building was set on fire…we managed to get people out, but, I'm afraid most machines aren't going to be well."

The fusion frowned and turned. "Wasn't William with them?" they asked, their ear fins picking up part of the conversation.

Napstablook repeated the question.

"No…he hadn't been looking well at all this evening, by the time we were heading out…he had to stay in the Capital Building."

Frisk growled. If they had gone there, perhaps they could have stopped the fire…those humans may not spill, so the reason behind it all could stay that way.

"Though, Napstablook, I do have concerns," the elemental murmured.

"What?"

"Most of these humans, are what Michael calls 'catatonic'…what happened in there?"

Napstablook was quiet for a few moments.

"Oh no…I'm sorry…guess I scared them."


	79. Can't go Back

Muffet giggled as she sat down at one of the booths in Grillby's. "Well, I think we have that all finished now…"

Grillby's flames crackled in gentle amusement. "Took several months to get it all ready…"

"Well, with all the interruptions we keep having, that's no surprise," the spider replied. "Though things are calming down Grillby, maybe you can do stuff there."

"I'm still surprised of how quickly we were able to get that new business ready, despite all the setbacks."

Muffet nodded. "Let's say I was…" She drifted off, trying to find a word while Grillby took note that she was starting to wring her hands.

He reached over, grabbing one, causing her to jerk up in surprise—only to be more flustered as he stole a kiss from her. "You're nervous," he murmured quietly.

"N—no…"

"Well, now you're just flustered," he joked.

"Sir!" He laughed as she smacked his arm. "Oh, you can be so horrible when you want to be!"

"I apologize."

"But do you mean it?"

"Hmm…probably not—" He gave a sound of surprise as she grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him back down so that they were eye to eye.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked.

"…well, I am curious to find out at this point."

She rolled her eyes, and released him. However, he didn't drop the subject. "Are you worried about it…?"

"We're opening a business in the middle of human territory—I'm going to be a little nervous. We don't have much going for us. Sure, Sir William is allowing us to do this, and Mr. Jeremiah has been very helpful in this whole thing—even saying to help send business our way, but…" She sighed. "Look at everything that's been happening—even with Sir Mettaton a while back. Someone tried to take him—and we're not even sure why…"

Grillby nodded slowly. "The good news for him is that Alphys and Felix were able to get rid of the virus and restore him to full operation…"

"Though we don't know much about what's going on," Muffet responded. "Somehow, something happened with all the humans so that they're not responsive, or, if they are, they're not talking. We don't know anything about those people…"

"And Mettaton says that he thinks he lost a few memories, and that there's some missing pieces to the whole thing…" Grillby stated.

"If we had been better prepared," Muffet replied. "We might have been able to learn more."

"If Napstablook hadn't gone off on their own…" The elemental shook his head. "I'm still not too pleased about that, but I suppose I can't say I don't understand. Their cousin was in danger and they didn't want to wait…"

"And they were able to get back out," Muffet assured. "In the end, we got Mettaton back, and that's what matters…"

Grillby nodded as he took a seat across from her. "Though William assures he has people looking into it."

The two paused in their conversation as two small hands grabbed the edge of the table, and Chara poked their head over it. The two smiled, leaning down a little. "And what do you think you're doing, little one?" Muffet asked.

Chara ducked back down a little, their gaze going between the two monsters, but to no one's surprise, there was no response. The spider's gaze softened. "You must get a little lonely here, don't you, Dearie? Maybe, sometime I'll bring Cupcake so that you have someone to play with."

"Good with children?" Grillby questioned.

She nodded. "He's a big sweetie, really. He won't eat anyone…unless I ask him to."

"…that worries me, Muffet."

She giggled. "Oh, it only happened once, don't worry about it."

"The fact that it happened at all just makes me worry more."

Chara looked between the two, and then silently snickered.

Muffet noticed, and her smile broadened, her little fangs gleaming. "Well, at least someone's entertained."

Grillby looked over, smirked, and drew the child close with his magic. "And just who's side are you on?"

The ghost looked up innocently, as if they hadn't done a single thing. Grillby rolled his eyes, looking ready to say something, when a phone suddenly rang. The three perked in surprise as the elemental drew it out. "Sorry," he murmured.

Muffet waved it aside. "It's all right. Don't mind me."

Grillby dipped his head, smiling sheepishly, before picking up. "Hello? Fiona—?" There was a pause, and his natural heat suddenly decreased. Muffet noticed, her smile fading as she started to stand, already knowing that there was something wrong.

"Fiona?" he asked, his tone worried. "What's—what's wrong?" He stood abruptly. "Fiona—calm down. Tell me where you are, I'll come find you. Shh, I'll be there soon, just hold on a bit." His flames continued to dim to the point that the tavern seemed dark, as if he had taken all the light from it.

Both hands cradled the phone as he listened in concern. "Easy…" he soothed. "I can't understand you…yes, I'm coming, just sit tight."

He reluctantly closed the phone, moving for the door, with Muffet trailing after him, swiftly putting on her coat. "Grillby, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "She was too choked up—she's at her home though, so finding her isn't the issue…"

"Grillby…if I may…let me come as well," Muffet managed. He glanced to her as they stepped out as she placed a hand over her chest. "We're not sure what's wrong—the more that come will probably be for the better."

Grillby didn't even hesitate. "I'd appreciate that," he managed as they hurried for the river, only for Grillby to jerk as he realized Chara had trailed after them. "Chara—" The human gave a violent burst of energy, making it clear that he couldn't keep them in the tavern.

Grillby sighed, and drew them close. "Just…make yourself scarce to others," he instructed. The human nodded, their form retreating into their soul, making it easy to hide them close. The two hurried to the river, going to Hotlands, with Grillby swiftly leading the way to the elevators, and Muffet quickly learned that they were going to the Monster city.

Once there, the two ran, with Muffet having to pick up the pace to make up for her much smaller stride. Though it didn't help that she actually needed to breathe; unlike the elemental. It thankfully wasn't too long before they found a small home. Grillby raced to the door, knocking. "Fiona?" he called, his flames wavering worriedly, while Chara flew back to Muffet, hiding behind the spider monster.

It took a few moments—though the now impatient elemental was about ready to make his own entry way. The door opened, and Grillby stumbled back as a small force plowed into him. He gasped, but on instinct, he drew his arms around the other as Fiona grabbed him harshly, fingers digging into him as she cried into his chest.

"Fiona—" Grillby managed as he caught his balance.

"Uncle Grillby!" she sobbed, having broken down all the way in the short time they were gone.

"Shh," he soothed, slowly kneeling down, as she was not standing on her own. He stroked her back, resting his head against hers. "Easy now, I'm here…"

She whimpered, clinging to him as she cried, little green embers falling from her face. Muffet hesitated, uncertain of what to do. She wanted to help…but she was a stranger to Fiona, and anything she could offer would be awkward to do because of that, and so, she hung back.

Grillby didn't move, despite that he was knelt on harsh ground as he kept his head against hers, a flame of his occasionally entwining with her own. He waited, allowing Fiona to cry into him. She could tell him what was wrong when she was ready.

It took a while for her to recuperate enough to talk, though she still shook harshly in his hold, her body giving rough jerks as she struggled to keep herself together, her light dim.

She looked up, with Grillby moving a hand to gently touch her face, a thumb stroking her cheek, like one would to wipe away tears. His light remained soft as he looked at her in worry. "Fiona…?" he questioned his voice just about a whisper as he kept his tone soft. "What happened, Dear?"

Fiona's light darkened as she fought to keep herself composed. "…some beast hunters came here earlier," she managed, her voice tight. "…they…they brought dust boxes…" Grillby's flames nearly stilled completely. "M—Mom and Dad—they…the beasts…they…" She broke down again, with Grillby numbly holding her as it slowly registered.

His brother…was dead… The news shocked him, but he…didn't feel anything. Perhaps it just wouldn't register a while longer, but for now…he felt pity and hurt for the girl in his arms, who had just had her parents ripped out of her life.

The elemental was quiet, glancing to the house. He…couldn't let her stay there—not tonight, at the least. Instead, he adjusted his hold, scooping her up as he fully rose, cradling her. He paused as he did, looking down at her, remembering when she had been nothing more than a little baby, and he had cradled her back then.

It seemed like it was yesterday…and yet here she was, nearly fully grown. He glanced to the hesitant spider, who stepped toward him worriedly. "…Grillby?"

"I need to get her to my home," he murmured.

"Sir," she stated, not even noticing she used the term. "It'll be a bit of walk. How about we take her to my place? It's closer…"

He thought briefly, and then nodded, letting her lead the way. It didn't take long to get her to the house; though it took longer to coax Fiona into responding once they got there. She stared at the croissant offered, eventually, and slowly eating. Talking to her was mostly fruitless, but understandable, and Muffet finally offered for the young elemental to have her room to rest.

Muffet stood in the entryway, watching Grillby tuck her in, resting a hand on her quietly, before reluctantly leaving her alone. He stepped out, closing the door, with Muffet guiding him back to the living room. "Grillby? Are you going to be all right?"

"I think so…" the elemental murmured quietly.

"…how are you feeling?" she asked.

He sat down, resting his head in his hands. "…I think…I'm fine…"

She frowned in concern, sitting beside him, resting two hands on him. One on the shoulder, another on his elbow…she tried to say something, but she was left without words.

"It's strange," he muttered quietly. "My brother and his wife…I just learned that they were killed, but…I'm stunned…and that's it. I don't…I don't feel anything for _them_ …and I should."

Muffet sighed quietly, resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes drooping. "…I'm sorry, Grillby…I know you weren't on…"

"We weren't," he agreed with a sigh. "My relationship was always strained with them once Fiona was born…not that I think Calida ever did more than tolerate me…but…my own brother and I don't…I feel awful…"

The spider looked away. "…you can't force what you feel…and I…may be overstepping my bounds, but…you shouldn't feel guilty over it. I don't know everything, and probably shouldn't be saying anything on the matter, but…it sounded like it was they who pushed things to how they are now…and you…

"What I want to say, I guess…is just that…it's not your fault…and it's understandable to not feel anything when you've been pushed out of their ring like that…I'm sorry, I know this doesn't really help," she murmured, starting to draw her hands back, only to stop when he grabbed hers.

"Grill—by!" she squeaked as he drew her back. She recuperated from the initial surprise, but found herself flustered all the same as he held her close, his light dimmed. Her expression softened as she drew her arms around him, no longer having anything to say, but, he seemed to accept that, and was content with her staying put.

Muffet bit her lip, pressing her head against him. She didn't know what else could be said…and so, she stayed put…time slowly passed as they remained on the couch, until finally, the elemental reluctantly pulled back. "…thank you…" he managed softly as she dipped her head in response as she let her arms drop away.

"I'll…be back soon," Grillby managed. "There's…there's a few calls I must make."

"If you need anything…"

He looked to her, his light soft, before he reached forward, resting a hand on her cheek. "Just…watch over her for now, please?"

She rested her hand on his and nodded. "I shall."

* * *

Frisk paused their work in the throne room, hearing their cell phone ring. They swiftly picked it up. "Hello?"

"Frisk," came Grillby's voice. "Do you have a moment?"

Frisk had almost attempted to drop their water can into their lower hand…only to remember they were back to two. "Um…" They shifted their hold on things so that they could cradle the phone against their shoulder. "Yeah…what's wrong, Uncle Grillby?"

"…I hate to ask this…"

"Erm?"

"…how do your resets work exactly?"

Frisk bit their lip. "W…why do you need to know?"

"My brother and his wife…"

Frisk's eyes flared as their strange pupils turned to pin pricks. "…wh—when?"

"According to the others that brought the dust back…a few days ago, it took some time to get back from where they had been hunting."

Frisk felt sick as they dropped to their knees with a whine.

"Frisk…?"

The child didn't respond, their head lowered as they bit their lip harshly. "I—I can't…" They couldn't go any further, and so, someone else took the lead. The blue eye opened, and the fusion sighed.

"I'm sorry, Grillb…"

"…Sans?"

"Yep," the fusion replied. "Look…the way the resets work…we can't go back. Frisk has been saving more frequently. Our last save was this morning, and with the resets, we can only go back to our last save…or the first one."

"Then—"

"Grillb, you know how our little buddy works. You know they would do it if it's in their power."

"But it…"

"There's too much risk to it," was the quiet reply. "We don't know where the first save is anymore. Was it when you helped them defeat the human in the Ruins? Or did it get switched around? A new save could have been made at any point in the Abyss, or when we left it. The problem is, if we reset to before we were done in the Abyss…that _thing_ might remember, and do something differently, and you would be helpless against that."

The fusion sighed. "I'm so sorry…but we can't risk that. I know they're your family, and I don't want to say any of this, but…you have to understand…as amazing as this ability is, there are many drawbacks to it.

"Being straight forward…"

The lone blue eye glanced to the phone, light pouring out of it.

"We will not reset."


	80. He was the One

Grillby glanced around as he opened the door to Fiona's home the next morning. His gaze went down as Cupcake scuttled in after him, a box on his back. With Fiona's parents gone, he knew the house wouldn't be in much use. Fiona might be of age to live alone—but she wasn't prepared for it, and so, without a second thought, Grillby took her in.

However he had intended to grab some things from the home—and Muffet insisted on bringing Cupcake, as the monster could aid in carrying some things back. Though the spider offered her assistance; implying that she'd handle Fiona's room if it was allowed.

He looked around, as he stepped in, finding himself in a hall that ran straight through the house, opening up into a living room and dining room on the right, and a kitchen on the left. Usually, there would be a bathroom as well, but due to it being the home of an elemental family, that was not in operation.

He stepped into the living room, his gaze going to the mantle of the fireplace where some pictures stood. Personal items like this…he was keeping. His gaze fell on a wedding picture that he quietly picked up. Nearly twenty years ago…a thought occurred to him, and he wondered about if Fiona would want to find the wedding dress…he'd leave that in Muffet's care.

The elemental returned to the small critter, setting the box onto the table, and gently placing pictures in. Half were of the couple; the other half were of Fiona…the elemental looked at those fondly. She had to grow up so fast…though what saddened him was that there were only a few pictures with the three of them around.

Grillby slowly went through the house, taking only the obvious things that Fiona would want to keep. He'd let her sort through them when she was feeling better. He eventually headed upstairs, finding the bedrooms. He stayed clear of Fiona's, and entered her parent's room.

The elemental sighed, looking around, going to the side that had more of his brother's habits over it. Mostly neat—but not completely tidy. He went to the bed side table…and paused, picking up a lone picture. It was older than all the others…a picture of the family when he and his brother were only children.

Grillby's light dimmed. He remembered that one—the two were fighting a little that day, evident by the fact that Emberno was pushing him away in the picture, while the other child was pushing back more in defense.

He shook his head. "I don't think I've ever understood you," he muttered. His search was quiet as he continued. He didn't like this home, for it felt…empty, despite that there had obviously been a family living here—but how often were the parents home? He was sure Fiona had spent more time living in Snowdin with him, than here with her parents.

The only good thing he could take from this was the fact that, for a little while, they had been spending time with Fiona—even if he had to shove it down their throats, at least they had done it, but…it hadn't been enough time. They were killed before anything could be taken from the change.

It was around noon that he received a phone call. "Grillby?" Muffet asked. "Fiona's awake now…will you be back soon?"

"I was just finishing up," he murmured, putting the box onto Cupcake's back. "We're heading back now…"

* * *

Muffet looked up at a knock at her door. "Come in," she called as she knelt by the couch, putting food on the table before the quiet Elemental. Grillby came in, instantly moving forward into the room.

"Fiona…"

She quietly looked up at him as he moved to sit down beside her, bringing an arm around her to comfort her. His light dimmed as she silently leaned against him, not saying anything. "Fiona," he repeated gently. "You need to eat," he coaxed, leaning forward to grab the plate so that Fiona didn't have to put effort into it. "Please?"

Silently, she reached out, grabbing the croissant that had been made, drawing it close to give the illusion of eating it like a normal monster as it caught on fire. It burned slowly, as if it was the equivalent of her taking small bites of it.

Muffet stood, and quietly moved back into the kitchen so that she wouldn't disturb the two. Fiona slowly ate, huddling into Grillby's side as she did so. This wasn't a new thing to Grillby, whenever she was upset as a child, she would do something similar. Such as when she got hurt, or when she was seeking comfort after being bullied.

Once she was finally done, Grillby put the plate aside. "Do you want to talk, Dear?"

The young elemental stared straight forward, not saying anything for a good long while, but Grillby was patient, knowing that yesterday had been a shock to her, and expected that she wouldn't be talkative for some time.

"…they're gone…" she mumbled.

He sighed softly, resting his head against hers, exchanging flames. "I know…"

"…they were starting to spend time with me…and…it was nice…and…I was happy and…now…" She spoke slowly, her words dethatched from any emotions. It was like a mono-tone actor reading off a script.

"I don't…I mean…what am I supposed to do?" she asked. "They're gone…"

"I'm sorry, Dear…" Grillby murmured softly. "I…you know I would offer you a place to stay? Until you can find a way back on your feet…"

She nodded. "I know you would…and…thank you…I just…"

"Take all the time you need," her uncle assured. "I don't expect you to be in top condition, or to be ready to move on for a while. Just…let me know if you need anything, all right?"

The elemental simply responded with another nod. Grillby sighed softly. "I know…it's not going to be easy, Dear…just…remember you have others to fall back on when you need it…I know I'm just repeating things, but I want to be clear, and make sure you know…"

"I know…" she murmured.

"Good…"

Fiona sighed. "I'm just…tired right now."

"Would you like to get some more rest?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Muffet shouldn't be against the idea…how about I take a moment to ask her, and if she says yes, we'll get you back to bed for a bit?" He didn't like her being shut in, but he wouldn't pressure her unless she started to make it a daily habit. For now, her grief was not hurting anyone, so he'd leave it be.

* * *

That evening, Muffet approached the elemental, sitting on the couch beside him. "Well…I gathered up the obvious things from her home—and I found the other thing you mentioned."

"Thank you," he replied quietly.

"H…has she come out?"

Grillby shook his head. "I've checked on her a few times…" he murmured. "She's just been staying in the room…"

"At least she ate."

"That is a good sign," he agreed.

"While I have no objection to her living here," Muffet stated softly. "The house is meant for only one occupant, honestly."

Grillby nodded. "I know—and I appreciate that you allowed her to stay overnight…I'll see if I can't find Frisk to get her to Snowdin tomorrow."

"There are other options as well, I suppose."

"Hmm?" Grillby questioned.

Muffet shrugged. "Dealing with grief…is not my forte. Though I would suggest letting her do things to get her mind off it."

"Usually I would have it so that she's cooking and talking with me, but…"

"You've been horribly busy…"

"Sadly…" Grillby muttered.

"Do…do you think…?"

"Hm?"

"Well…perhaps she could come down to the city with me? I have to start preparing things in the bakery—she doesn't have to do anything…and…maybe we could talk." She shrugged. "I'm not sure—I don't know her, but…"

"It might do her some good though," Grillby replied. "I'll ask her about it in the morning, if you're sure about this."

"I am," the spider assured. "I want to help if I can."

"It's greatly appreciated…"

Muffet nodded. "And the funeral…?"

"Next week," Grillby confirmed. "Don't worry about the rest of it; I'll take care of this so that Fiona doesn't have to deal with it."

"No, she shouldn't have to—not at that age…poor Dearie…"

Grillby slowly nodded. "I just hope she'll be a bit active tomorrow—I may have to drag her out if she insists on staying in bed."

"The outside might do her some good as well," Muffet stated. "And, as I've said, Grillby, if you need anything, if she needs anything, let me know. I'm more than willing to lend a hand."

Grillby paused, and then his flames brightened a little. "Well, you may have one or two to spare."

She blinked, and then whacked him gently on the shoulder, rolling her eyes as she did so. " _Your_ number one customer is dangerous in more ways than one."

"Apologies, I just needed to lift the mood…"

"You certainly did that…"

* * *

The next day, Muffet opened the door to the would-be bakery, with Fiona trailing in after her. With some persuasion and insistence from Grillby, and some more talking, Fiona accepted coming down to the city to get her mind off things, and for now…it was working. The elemental looked around in surprise at the now mostly furnished building.

The left side reminded her of her Uncle's tavern, with the dark wood making up the floor and furniture, but then, as if someone had cut the building in half, the right side was made of much brighter wood, almost an off white—or creamy color.

"…you split it down the middle," she mumbled, looking around in surprise.

Muffet smiled. "There was too much space for just me, so, I offered the other half to your Uncle for when he had the time again."

Fiona nodded, looking around quietly. "…I heard you two started dating," she murmured.

"Well, I can't deny that," the spider mumbled sheepishly.

"I'm glad," Fiona stated softly. "…he was always too busy taking care of me and his work before to ever…be with anyone…"

Muffet's expression softened, and she guided the elemental over to a table. "In all honestly, I still don't know much about him…"

To her surprise, she swore she saw something of a smile on Fiona's features. "He's…he's great, really…I'd think I know him, considering I practically was raised by him…" Her expression darkened for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Dearie," Muffet replied as she sat across from her.

Fiona shook her head. "He was there, that's what mattered, really. He's…he's really nice and patient…I just…" She grew awkwardly quiet.

"Fiona?"

"Sorry—I don't—I'm not used to…talking things out with…others…"

"It's okay, Dearie, I don't expect you to spill out your life story to me or anything like that. I just wanted you here to get your mind off things—but I am open to listening—not that I think I'll be as good as your Uncle when it comes to that."

Fiona smiled a little. "I guess…I just…aside from Mom ever so often, I didn't really…you know…"

"Have another 'woman' to talk to?"

"Yeah…" Fiona mumbled. "I mean, sure I had classmates, and teachers, but…"

"Not the same thing?"

"No…not really…"

"Well, Dearie, if you need to talk to me about things you can't talk to your Uncle about, let me know. I don't know how much help I'll be, but, I'll see what I can do…"

"And promise not to Uncle Grillby any of it?"

"What? Of course not. Men don't get a sliver of girl talk."

Fiona nodded. "Thanks…" She sighed softly, her flames dimming a little. "I…I don't…know where to start…or if I even have anything to say…"

"That's all right. There's no rush for you, Dearie. You can approach this at your own pace…"

"I…right…thank you…"

They talked for a little while, before Fiona decided that she wanted to try cooking alongside Muffet, as the spider needed some pastries ready. The spider was patient, guiding her through the steps. For the next few hours, the two worked, sometimes picking up idle chatter, but the spider backed down when she felt the elemental wished to be left with her thoughts.

The day went by mostly without incident, until they stopped for lunch, with Muffet vanishing upstairs briefly. When she came back down, the elemental was gone. Muffet paused, scanning the front area, before ducking away into the back again. Where could she have… Muffet paused, and then opened the back door, finding the elemental under the presumably dead tree in the empty lot behind the building.

The spider quietly approached, swiftly realizing that Fiona had broken down again. She bit her lip, looking it over, before quietly coming to the tree, and sitting down with just some small distance between them. Fiona jerked in surprise, and then looked away. There was silence for a bit, before Fiona drew an arm over her face. "S—sorry," she hiccupped.

"You have no reason to be," Muffet replied gently. "You have every right to cry."

"But I'm supposed to be helping…"

Muffet reached over, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Fiona, I didn't bring you here to work. I brought you here to help…either by talking about it, or keeping your mind off it. And now that we're both out here…how about we talk, Dearie?"

Fiona sighed, tucking her legs in as she hugged her knees. "I just…I don't…I'm confused. I don't know what to do—and it hurts…it hurts so much, but…I just feel numb sometimes…"

"That happens," Muffet murmured.

"…but when I'm not numb…it just…hurts, and…does it even stop?"

"That depends what you mean by 'stop'," Muffet replied. "If I was to speak from experience…the pain dulls, and you continue on. How long it takes depends, and I can't tell you when you'll start feeling better…but…"

Fiona shuddered. "…this would have been easier…if things had just been a little different…but maybe not…I try to think that maybe if they didn't start reaching out, it wouldn't hurt this much—but then I would think it was completely wasted time, and that we never got to have time together, I just—I really…"

She lowered her head. "I wish Uncle Grillby had been my Dad…" Muffet perked in surprise, turning fully to look at the young elemental. "…it would have been so much simpler," Fiona mumbled. "He was the one that raised me—he was the one that cared—he was the one that loved me…if I needed him, he was there, and then…they…they never were."

Fiona's light dimmed. "Had they been my Uncle and Aunt—it would have hurt…but not this much…but then I hate myself for thinking like this. They're my parents, and I love them, and I _want_ to keep loving them, but…I'm so mad at them too! What was so hard about being there for me—and now they can't!"

Muffet glanced down sadly. She couldn't give a reason, as she didn't side with what the parents had done. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as Fiona spoke again. "Can you promise me something?" Fiona mumbled.

"What is it, Dearie?"

"If…you and…Uncle Grillby—I know you're just dating, and that might be as far as it ever goes—but if it becomes more than that…can you always love him?"

"…he's certainly not making that difficult," Muffet replied.

"Thanks," she murmured. "…I…and…"

Muffet shook her head. "Jumping the gun perhaps, but, I promise that too."

Fiona slowly nodded. "Thanks…for listening, I know you didn't have to…"

The spider smiled. "Well, if things go like you think they will, you'll become my niece. In that case, Uncle Grillby will have to deal with my showing affection to you as well."

Fiona's flames brightened. "…you're really straight-forward with liking him…"

"You brought it up, Dearie…"

"…guess so."

Muffet smiled, drawing an arm around her. "…are you feeling better?"

"Yeah…" A faint smile appeared. "A little…"


	81. Sword and Shield

Rex glanced over to the fusion in concern as they walked through the city. They had been abnormally quiet and now, they seemed spaced out. The lizard hopped in front of them, calling quietly, but they didn't even notice. The lizard frowned, figuring that they were talking with the others, but…they've never done it like this before.

However, if they weren't going to pay attention to where they were going, they'd have to improvise. The little reptile came up to their side, and then ducked their head under Frisk's arm so that they could get it around their shoulders. If Frisk was going to space out, then they had to make sure they could guide them so that they didn't walk into a busy road! "Frisk…" Rex murmured, shaking their head in slight exasperation.

Within their mind, Frisk stared down, clutching an arm quietly as they stood before the rest of the group. It had started with a few of them making idle comments…but…when a conversation got going, Frisk had retreated as well, knowing it'd be best to listen in on this one.

Sans sighed, pacing slowly back and forth. "Kid…we've been needing to talk about this since the…beast monsters—but we knew you were upset, so we waited for another time…and well, no time like the present if you ask me."

"Sans," Papyrus murmured quietly, his arms folded.

The small skeleton shook his head. "Now, we already made it clear why we can't save Fiona's parents. We don't know where we'll reset back to, and if it's before that _thing_ was sealed, we're not sure how much they'd remember—or what happens to us if you do that…there's too much risk involved in an attempt to save two people."

"I know…" Frisk mumbled. "But I want to save them…"

"I know you want to save them, Punk," Undyne replied. "But it's not like we can just jump into the Abyss and grab them again."

"Aside from the ob—obvious…that was not in the deal y—you made with the dr—dragon," Alphys murmured nervously. "He d—did say that they had to t—to be killed by some—something from outside th—this dimension…"

Frisk shuddered, giving a little whimper. "It's because they're going into the Abyss that we need to save them…I hate thinking about…" Their voice began to quiver, the words trembling as they tried to keep their voice steady. "That…that the souls who die…they're trapped with _them_ , and I hate thinking about it! 01 and 02…"

Undyne's face darkened as she clenched her fists tight.

"Fiona's parents…and who knows…" Frisk crouched down, clutching their head. "I just want to save everyone—but…"

They gasped as Papyrus scooped them up. "And we shall! For I, the Great Papyrus, highly object to the other human being exposed to so much power! Therefore, when we are able, we must separate the human from the Abyss dragon and your flower friend! Until then, however, we must be careful." He poked their chest. " _You_ must be careful, Frisk."

Toriel came forward, brushing their hair out of their eyes. "Papyrus is right," she murmured gently. "We'll figure this all out as we go, and we will do everything in our power to fix this…"

"…what if it's not…?"

Asgore tilted his head in confusion. "What are you trying to say, Child?"

"…what if it's not in our power…?" the child mumbled.

The King blinked in surprise. "Frisk?" He came over, stroking their head. "What is troubling you so? This isn't like you at all…"

"Our King has a point, Frisk!" Papyrus exclaimed. "You're always the one to keep going—where is this coming from?"

"…we can't save beast monsters…we can't reset to save Fiona's parents…" The child quivered. "You talk about how I can defy time and death—but it's useless!"

"It's not useless…" Alphys muttered, before stepping forward. "And you're not useless just because you can't fix everything. Look at me…look at what I've done…I've turned monsters into horrible—horrible things…the reason why _he_ has sentience…is also my fault, and I caused you grief in the Underground."

She sighed. "I'm a coward, I'm weak, I've done things I can't take back and yet…because of you…because of everyone here…I'm still breathing. Do you want to save everyone? Yes, you do, with every ounce of Determination you have. Can you save all of them? Probably not…there are just things that are never in our control…but…" She stepped forward, looking up to the human.

"At the very least, you can save some of them, and that's what matters. You cannot beat yourself up over who you can't save…just focus on what we can do. Look how powerful you are like this…all these different magics flowing through you…you can handle much more in a battle than you had before…what I'm saying is…"

The lizard tossed her hands up. "I don't know—I'm not a motivational speaker—but I've watched anime, so I know a thing or two about this! You might hit a lot of low points, but you're you, and you've always come out on top before—so why should this be any different!? The only thing that is holding you back…" She sighed. "It's not you…"

"It's us," Sans murmured. "Plain and simple. This is the other thing we've got to talk about, Buddy. All that resetting you did during the beast thing? We can't handle that—heck, I don't even think you can, to be honest. You do it for the sake of getting the best possible outcome—and I have to wonder…" His pupils vanished.

 _ **"How long did it really take you to get through the Underground?"**_

Frisk looked down, clasping their hands together while he stepped forward.

 _ **"Cause as far as time is concerned…it only took you a week."**_

He looked up. _**"But I think it took longer than that…"**_

"It did," they stated simply. "I'm bad at dodging," they clarified. "The length doesn't matter though…"

His pupils returned slightly. "It's not the length of time it took that mattered…"

Asgore turned back to the child. "It's how much of that time consisted of you dying."

Toriel nodded, gently clasping the child's hands. "We know you can't die—not in that sense, but you still feel the pain—you still feel death clawing for your soul…and that can't be good for you."

"I can handle it," Frisk replied stubbornly.

"But we can't," Toriel murmured.

"Hate to admit it," Undyne added. "But even I was losing it by the end there…"

"The point that we're trying to make," Sans started. "…is…that we have to use it sparingly. You can't just plow into a fight like that anymore _expecting_ to die. It's not the fact that you can get back up—it's the fact that you still suffer, and you have to be so stubborn that you won't admit it!"

"It doesn't matter if I can get it right!"

"Yes, it does!" Sans snapped, turning. "What do I have to say to get it through that skull of yours? Damn it, Buddy, if we had it your way, we'd still be fighting that beast—and do you understand what it's like to know that? That you would let yourself suffer over and over in the vain hope that you can do better with something that can't be fixed?"

The small skeleton began rapidly pacing. "I don't even know what I'm trying to say to you, that's…" He tossed his hands up in exasperation. "There is nothing in life that prepares us to talk to you about this resetting. Just…the point—the freaking point of it all…"

He sighed in defeat. "Buddy, if we get killed by something again, there's going to be a few rules applied." He turned to them. "One—you let me handle the dodging. Two, you let Undyne handle the attacking. Three—we run. It does you no good if we break, Buddy. Think you can handle six broken souls in your head?"

Frisk slowly shook their head. "Then we can't abuse your reset ability," he continued. "Treat it like you only have one life. Because even if you have countless lives to throw at your enemies…" He gave another sigh, and looked up. "You know we care about each and every one, right, Bud?"

The child sighed. "I know…I just…it's not…"

Toriel reached up, framing their face with her hands, resting her head against theirs. "We know it's not how you handle things…but for the sake of this fusion staying sane…to keep it from falling apart—you need to respect your life just as much as everyone else here does…"

"…what if we have to fight the dragon…?" Frisk mumbled. "…I don't think we can get them on the first try."

"One problem at a time, child," Asgore murmured. "Do not fret over that for now."

"You're a child," Alphys stated. "You're not supposed to worry about this—let that be our job. You just worry about…normal things that kids worry about…"

Sans looked up. "Hey, Pap? Can you come down? Can't reach." Papyrus smiled and knelt. "So, uh, Bud…do we have something of an agreement?"

Frisk looked down at his extended hand…and then they reached forward, knowing there was no prank this time. Sans's smile broadened as they shook. "Thanks, Bud, glad you understand…hopefully, won't have to deal with it again, but best to be on the same page, right?"

The child nodded, before a realization dawned on Papyrus. "Weren't we walking with Rex?" he asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Sans asked.

"If we're all back here, and Frisk is back here…who's 'steering', so to speak?"

Frisk's eyes opened as they realized the issue. "Uh, Bud…might want to get back into the driver's seat…"

The human didn't argue as they rushed back up to full consciousness—but just before doing so, they felt themselves being yanked back—something flying past their right side. They came back into control just in time to have Rex plow into their chest, sending them back—out of harm's way.

As they hit the ground, the reptile barked out a command to run as they turned to face the threat, head low, tail whipping in anger as they lunged back into the fray.

* * *

Frisk gave a gasp as they tumbled into the Capital Building, holding onto Rex, instantly leaning on a wall as both of them panted. "Too many…" Frisk gasped. "Humans…where did they all…come from…?"

"And…why…" Rex demanded between breaths. "Are they all taking pictures…?"

"…I might have to jump off a cliff today…" Frisk muttered to themselves.

"Yeah—wait what!? Why!?"

"I don't know who you attacked!" Frisk exclaimed. "What if it was someone important?"

"Who cares?" Rex demanded, stomping a foot. "They attacked you first!"

"You think the humans will care!?" That didn't quite sound like Frisk there as the ear fins drooped down. "Watch this get used as an excuse to be mad at monsters…"

"What are you two doing?"

The two jumped up in surprise to see Clarabelle with Michael in tow. She knelt down. "When did you two even get here?"

"Sorry," Frisk mumbled. "We were attacked—"

"We know," Michael replied.

"Yo—what!?" Rex exclaimed. "How?"

"You kidding?" Michael asked. "I'd be surprised if anyone didn't know at this point."

Clarabelle nodded. "That idiot was so focused on getting your Ambassador that the consequences weren't an issue. Hence, more witnesses, therefore…more recording devices."

"Yep, they got you attacking the man right on film," Michael clarified.

"Oh no…" Frisk whined.

"And it's already on the internet," Clarabelle informed.

The fusion covered their face. "Oh no…" they moaned.

Michael smirked. "They also got a good shot of who attacked first. I'll say that guy isn't getting out of this anytime soon."

"Wait…who did Rex attack?" Frisk asked quietly.

"Nobody important," Clarabelle assured. "And even if it was, the evidence was stacked against them. You can't really say no to what people record with their phones."

"Those are hard to edit," Michael agreed. "Plus, they're being uploaded pretty fast, and they can't pull that garbage like they did with Grillby."

"I was appalled. Such horrible editing."

Michael gave her a look. "Was that really the only thing that upset you?" he asked when an amused smirk came to her.

"Who knows," she murmured in amusement.

"Harsh," Michael replied with a laugh.

"Um…" Frisk mumbled. "So…about this…is it gonna…?"

Clarabelle smiled, patting the fusion's head. "Everything is going to be fine," she assured. "Really, this actually helps monsters."

"Clarabelle's right," Michael replied. "Since the human attacked first, they can't say anything against you—and it shows that Rex didn't attack until they lashed out."

"And they've gotten carried away," Clarabelle murmured as she pulled out her phone. "Hope you like fame, little ones, because you've certainly got it. In fact." She pointed at Rex. "You just earned yourself a title."

"A wha…?" Rex asked in confusion.

"The city has started to give you a name," Michael replied. "Due to what you did."

"What is it?" Frisk asked worriedly.

Clarabelle smiled. "They're calling them: 'The Ambassador's Sword and Shield'…"

Rex blinked. "W…wow…" they mumbled, not truly sure of how to respond to that.

"My sword and shield…?" Frisk managed softly, their ear fins twitching, before a wide smile formed and they grabbed Rex. "That is so awesome!" That part was inspired by Undyne. "Look at this little squirt—getting cool titles—from the humans, how did you manage it!?"

"Ah—stop—shaking—me—please—!"

"Sorry!" The fusion yanked their arms back, and they covered their face. "Undyne…" they whined.

 _'…sorry?'_

"No you're not," they muttered.

 _'…I'm somewhat actually sorry!'_

 _'Really?'_ Sans asked. _'They're not that…'_

Papyrus gave a shout. ' _Someone stop him, he's about to make a terrible pun!'_

Frisk moaned as they others grew rowdy, and then looked their friend over, one hand on their head. "Are you feeling okay?" they asked. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

The lizard shook their head. "Haha, no…yo, did you see that? He just came at me, and then I just—and it was so cool!"

Frisk smiled tiredly. "Yeah…and…thank you, I didn't even…"

"Yo, you were zoned out quite a bit…" A look of concern came to the lizard. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I…I was just talking to them about…that."

"Oh…everything good now?"

"We came up with something…"

"Yo, that's great." They gently nuzzled the human. "I was a little worried—you've been quiet all day…"

"We just had some things on our mind, I didn't want to worry you…"

"You'd have worried me some other way," Rex assured.

"Wha—how?"

The monster perked happily. "It's my job to protect you—so I'm always worrying about what's going on."

Frisk bonked them lightly on the head. "Dummy."

"Haha, sorry…"

"Are you?"

"Haha…yeah, but guess what?"

"Hm…?"

"I'm your dummy—ow!"

"…dummy."

Rex just laughed. "…though, 'The Ambassador's Sword and Shield' has a nice ring to it…"

There was a small stretch of silence, before the fusion smiled.

"Yeah…it does."


	82. Better for It

Muffet smiled as Cupcake followed her into the Snowdin tavern. "Grillby?" she called.

The elemental looked up from where he was cleaning plates. "Ah—good timing, you just missed the lunch rush." She looked around, finding that the place was empty.

"I could have helped," she replied as she slipped off her coat.

"I know," he assured.

"Where's Fiona?"

Grillby put what he was doing down, and strode around the bar. "She said she was going to the house to get a few final things."

"Alone?"

"She insisted on it."

Muffet nodded. "Do you think…?"

"She's been doing much better," Grillby assured. "I'm not as concerned as I was."

"That's good to hear," Muffet replied as Cupcake trotted over to the Jukebox, prodding it with a leg. Quietly, Chara poked their head out, staring at him in confusion as his tongue lolled out.

Muffet looked up. "It's okay, Dearie, he just misses you." Over time, Cupcake had learned of Chara, and after that, he would often play with the little ghost, though Chara was a little nervous around him initially.

Once they were sure it was safe, they ventured forth, and were soon playing with the strange critter while the two took a seat at the booths. "Fiona has been doing much better," Grillby murmured.

"That's good news," the spider replied. "I know that had to of been hard to take in."

"And so I have to thank you."

The spider blinked at him a few times, before pointing to herself in confusion. "Me?"

Grillby chuckled and stood, coming over next to her. "I'm not sure what you said to her exactly, but she was better for it."

"Oh, it wasn't much…"

"It was to her," Grillby stated, offering a hand to Muffet.

The spider paused, and then reached out, taking his hand, allowing him to gently pull her to her feet, before drawing her close in a warm embrace. "It doesn't matter either," Grillby stated. "I'm not looking for what it was—just…it helped her, and I wanted you to know that."

Muffet smiled as she rested her head against his chest. "Then, I'm glad," she murmured. "I…I didn't realize I had made an actual impact…" She looked up. "And good thing you're not prying, as I am not telling."

Grillby chuckled. "I can live with that," he said as he pressed his head against hers, only for Muffet to give a little gasp, stepping back as she brought a hand to her chest. "Muffet—!" He gently eased her back down into her seat as Cupcake rushed over, sliding slightly on the wooden floor.

A few moments later, she was holding the soul. Over time, she and Grillby, one way or another, inadvertently half the time, had been healing the soul during their interactions. They could never fully explain it, but bit by bit, the severe cracks had mended, and now…the soul fully filled the last of the injury, reforming itself completely.

Grillby stepped back warily as Muffet kept her hands under the soul as it began to pulse. It floated forward, a light shimmering around it, growing slightly. Chara drew back violently in alarm as a second ghostly human formed around the soul, similar in appearance to Chara, but drastically darker.

The soul wasn't that strong, and started to fall. The two monsters rushed forward, catching the second soul before they hit the ground. They stared worriedly down as the form struggled to remain. The dim ghost looked up tiredly in light confusion, while Muffet reached down with another hand, gently brushing their ghostly hair.

The human started to fuss, but Muffet soothed them. "Shh, Dearie, it's all right. You're safe here," she assured as Grillby gently put the child into her hold. "It's all right, Sweetie. Take your time…"

The spider sat back down, with the elemental kneeling before her to stay near her eye level as the dim ghost looked between the two in confusion, uncertain as to what was going on exactly.

"How are you feeling?" Muffet asked softly.

The human stared, and then opened their mouth, trying to speak, but they heard nothing.

Grillby gently rested a hand on their head. "It's all right, I'll get a friend."

"Napstbalook?" Muffet questioned.

He nodded, grabbing his cell phone, swiftly calling the ghost. "Napstablook…how quickly do you think you can get to Snowdin…?"

It didn't take long at all. "Oh dear, I'm sorry," the ghost said as they phased through a wall. "That took longer than I expected…oh no, I hope I didn't keep you waiting …um… anyways…what's going on? Do you need to talk to Chara again?" Chara, at that point, was hiding in the jukebox, not wanting to confront the broken Frisk.

"Not Chara at the moment?" Grillby responded.

"Then who…?" The ghost paused as they saw the other soul. "Oh…oh—!" Napstablook flew over in alarm. "They…they reformed? Oh…" The child was nervous, but the ghost offered a gentle smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm scaring you aren't I?"

The ghost drifted back. "Hey…um…I can understand you, all right? So…if you have anything to say…" Their smile broadened.

"…wh…where am…?" And the ghost translated.

"You're in the Underground still," Muffet murmured. "In Snowdin…what do you remember?"

"…lonely…dark…cold…I…remember…" They shuddered, dimming into a darker shade. "I remember everything. …everyone…I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SORRY!"

They broke down, crying, with Muffet instinctively holding them closer, trying to soothe them. "It's okay, Dearie, it's okay…"

"But I—But I!"

"We know enough," Grillby replied. "We knew what happened to you, and we do not fault you…you had been trapped like that for so long…" He smiled warmly. "We're just glad to see that your soul could mend…and that you're able to take a form…"

The soul was quiet for a long time, staring at the floor. "…now what?" was the nervous whisper. Muffet and Grillby glanced to each other, and then down at the little one. "…I don't have anything…" the child mumbled. "But…"

Napstablook faded slightly, as they realized the issue. "They don't have anything to strive for," they murmured sadly. "Yet…they're not satisfied, and can't move on…"

"Poor Dearie," Muffet murmured sadly, still stroking their hair. "Little one…" They looked up at her quietly. "How about you stay with me until we figure things out? I've taken care of you for a while now—I'm sure we can manage something for you."

"…you were in my dreams…" they mumbled. "Why…I…I hurt…"

"And I'm still here," she assured gently. "I hold nothing against you for what happened."

"But…"

"Shh…" Muffet soothed, resting her head against the child's.

Napstablook smiled. "You know…I think I need to make some time to see if I can't teach them both how to properly speak."

Grillby paused, and glanced back. "They can learn?"

"Well of course—they're a ghost like me, they should be able to learn how to focus their energy to have their voice be heard—maybe they can interact with small items as well."

"…both…?" the dim child mumbled.

"Oh…" Napstablook paused as they realized they had mentioned Chara, and looked around uncertainly.

The dim ghost rose up, looking around quietly. They paused, seeing Cupcake sitting in front of the jukebox. Without warning, they clumsily flew over to it, hovering there in silence, waiting…but nobody came.

Cupcake whined, pawing at the jukebox several times, before finally, Chara nervously poked their head out. The two ghosts looked at each other without a word, with the others watching with uncertainty.

The dim one suddenly raised their hand, and Chara flinched, as if they expected to be hit…but instead, the ghost extended it, staring at the floor. Chara looked at them, and relaxed—somewhat, looking at them in confusion.

"…I'm…I'm sorry," the dim ghost mumbled. "For everything…"

Chara's form brightened and dimmed in bewilderment. "What…?"

"I'm sorry…"

"No, why…why are you sorry? Why are you apologizing to me!?"

"Because I didn't help!"

"I was their counterpart! I'm no different than them!"

"Yes you are!" The dim ghost drew back, wrapping their arms around themselves, shivering a little… "You're not like them at all…" They looked down, their form darkening. "…I was alone with them…forever…and then…and then you…spoke to me."

Chara paused, and they continued softly. "…that was the first time…I haven't…no one…nobody saw me, or heard me…or knew I was even there…so I gave up…and I'm sorry…"

The dim one shuddered. "You spoke to me—and then…I still didn't respond…and maybe…if I had helped…"

Chara gave an irritated spark. "Are you kidding me?" The other drew back in alarm as Chara came forward, shaking their head in disbelief. "You were the victim, you were used, abused, and everything about you was torn apart, and now you're nothing but a bare essence of what you were. And you have the nerve to be the one apologizing!?"

The brighter ghost made a motion, as if stomping their foot down. "Stop acting like you're the bad guy—because you're not! Open your eyes and go see what your counterpart is doing—that was who you were supposed to be! And me…" Their form darkened "Well, wouldn't you know?"

"Chara…" Napstablook came forward. "…and you, both of you…" The ghost smiled calmly. "Do not…don't ever compare yourself to someone else…because you'll only compare your flaws to their strengths…and…"

The ghost sighed. "You are more than your flaws—and you are your own person. Who cares what your counterparts are, and how much you are or aren't like them? You are you…and you have the right to whatever life you wish to have…"

The dim ghost faded a little, starting to cry, while Napstablook and the others came closer. "Hey, it's all right," they soothed. "I'm sorry, maybe I said too much, oh dear…"

"It's going to be okay, Dearies," Muffet murmured as she reached out for them.

There was the soft crackle of flames as Grillby stooped down. "We're here for you."

* * *

A few days later, Muffet and Grillby were in the House Mouse for lunch. "So," the elemental asked as Muffet took a sip of her drink. "How is it going?"

"All right," Muffet murmured. "I've been talking to them a little, but it's slightly difficult for obvious reasons…and then a less obvious one."

"And what's the less obvious one?" the elemental questioned.

"I…don't know what to call them."

"…but aren't they a counterpart of Frisk?" he asked in confusion.

"So I'm just supposed to call them Frisk? What happens when they're in the same room?"

"True…"

"I mean, I know Frisk is still their real name, and the like, but…I need something else to call them by for the sake of outside conversation at least…"

"Do you have any idea what that other name would be?"

"Not a clue," Muffet murmured.

"Something along the lines of Cupcake's name?" Grillby lightly joked.

She blushed, pouting a little. "…no?"

He stared at her.

"…yes?"

The elemental chuckled. "I'm sure something will come to you," he assured. "It's not like you're on a time limit."

"Maybe not," she agreed. "But the sooner, the better," she reasoned.

"Indeed…"

Muffet sighed, closing her eyes, trying to think. Various little nicknames came to her, but…none of them stuck. As she focused though, she faintly heard music—vaguely remembering that there was some playing in the House Mouse.

Keeping her eyes closed, her fingers began to tap to the rhythm, thankfully signaling to Grillby that she was concentrating, and so, he didn't interrupt her thoughts. She vaguely paid attention to the words—mostly because she didn't understand the language that it was in. While the humans in this city shared their language, it turned out there were other languages throughout the world.

"Y a traves~ de mi corazon~ y mi alma~ nunca—te—dejare—ir!"

Muffet's eyes opened and she sat perfectly straight, her head turning to the source. Grillby perked, and turned his head as well. Muffet looked around, and then stood, marching over to the bar. "Sir?"

Jeremiah perked. "Yes, Ma'am?"

"The song that is playing. Do you know what was said there?"

"Um…Espanol…haven't had to use it in years, um…" He listened for a moment, and frowned. "Which line did you even need?"

"Um…something corazon…something, Al…mond?"

Jeremiah went quiet for a bit, listening as the song continued, with Muffet hoping it repeated. Finally, she recognized some of it. "I think it was here," she murmured.

He listened for another moment, and then looked to her. "De mi Corazon, y mi alma?"

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "Alma! What does that mean?"

Jeremiah frowned, trying to think. "Alma…Alma, Alma, Alma, what was that…?"

For a while he just sat there, before he jumped with a shout, startling both monsters. "I remember!"

"What is it, then?" the spider asked.

Jeremiah snapped his fingers, grinning. "Alma means soul."

Muffet blinked, and then folded all six of her hands, a smile slowly forming as her fangs gleamed. "Is that so~?"

"Um…yes?"

She giggled, and then spun back to the table, grabbing the elemental's hand. "Grillby, Dear, we have to get back to Ebott. Right now!"

"Muffet—!" Despite how small she was, he found himself stumbling after her.

"It has special meaning—and it almost sounds like almonds~"

"Wait!" Jeremiah called. "You haven't…" He sighed. "Paid…" He turned, and then chuckled. "Gotta come back sometime, I'll remind them then."

* * *

Muffet panted in front of her home. "Why is…Frisk the…only one…who can…teleport…?" she managed between breaths.

Grillby shrugged as she opened the door, and they entered. "Dearie?" the spider called. After a little bit of searching, she found the child hiding in a little cubbyhole in the kitchen. "There you are, won't you come out? It's just Grillby and I…" Slowly, the dim ghost emerged, with the spider smiling gently.

"Would you care for a nickname, little one?"

They tilted their head in confusion, not understand the purpose.

Grillby stepped forward. "While we do know your name, it'll cause confusion at some point due to our own Frisk. We wanted to give you a special name to tell you apart…if that's all right with you."

They shrugged, while Muffet gently grabbed their hands. "Well Dearie…what do you think of the name…Alma?"

There was a quiet pause as they thought it over…before brightening ever so slightly…with the faintest smile showing on their features as Alma nodded.


	83. Honest Judgement

A couple of months went by, and Winter came to the world. Things had been changing, with Muffet running her new business in the city that Grillby sometimes had the time for. Fiona and the two little ghosts, along with Cupcake had started to call that a home as well. Napstablook would visit often, taking time to aid the ghosts in learning how to move about in such different forms than their physical bodies would allow.

However, with the cold winter, came the holidays, and the city was quite the spectacle. So, one late evening, where night already claimed the sky, Gerson walked with Frisk, who wanted to see the lights. Their eyes took everything in. There was just so much, from the lights, to the ornaments, and even little trees.

Frisk smiled. The bears in Snowdin would certainly be surprised. They paused at the sound of a little bell, ear fins twitching, before turning, their gaze softening. It was a street corner Santa Claus, ringing his bell while trying to gather donations. Their smile broadened, and they tugged on the turtle's hand to let him know they were going over there.

With that, they headed over, reaching into their inventory. They still had some gold on hand as they didn't really need it. Besides, there was some murmuring that their gold would be a welcomed donation.

Timidly, they approached, glancing up at the man. He didn't seem to be looking at them, and on a second glance, Frisk wasn't sure if he could. He wore black lensed glasses, the kind Frisk would associate with the blind. They leaned forward, and then slowly dropped a handful of coins in, watching each piece of gold fall into the bucket.

The man turned, and then smiled. "I was wondering if I would stumble upon you again."

Frisk blinked, the fusion tilting their head in confusion. The Santa knelt down to their level, smiling. "It's been a while; you probably can't recognize me…" He turned his head, seeming to be a little wary, before looking back to them and lowering his glasses. Frisk stiffened as they looked at colorless gray eyes.

It was so long ago…and he looked so different, as if he had been taking care of himself, but it was still the gray-eyed man from under the bridge. Nervously, Frisk shuffled back, the other souls stirring within. His expression fell. "I guess you learned about gray-eyes between then and now—but I'm not out to harm anyone—I haven't hurt anyone in the first place."

"Then why are you gray-eyed?" Frisk whispered. "What did you do?"

The man stood, placing his glasses back on, continuing his charade, while Frisk pretended to be fascinated by the bucket's contents. "Nothing," he insisted.

"You had to of done something," Frisk mumbled. "That's what I heard."

"That, my dear child, is when the _government_ takes your magic."

Frisk frowned. "…you're saying someone else did?"

The man gave a weary laugh. "It may not look it, due to our well-formed government, and a kind-hearted leader…but even this city has a dark side, and if you were unlucky like me, you would land yourself smack in the middle of that dark side. There are…bad people out there, who do things with the magic, our souls…"

He shook his head. "The government would love to believe they're the only ones with the power to take away magic—to be able to cast fair and honest judgment before tearing it away forever…but they're not the only ones with power…"

"So what happened?"

"Someone drained my magic—but what they didn't know was that I used to be a combatant. One thing we're taught is how to improvise if we can't use our magic. So…I managed to get away." He rang his bell to keep their conversation cloaked. "Of course, I was lucky to get away with my life. If I didn't escape when I did…heh, well, I don't think we would be having this conversation, little Ambassador."

"Couldn't you tell anybody?"

The disguised human shook his head. "I'm a gray-eye now. There isn't anyone you can turn to, because as everyone would figure…I'm just a run-away criminal."

"But William said you weren't in the records—well, not a run-away anyways…"

"The fact is that everything is not in my favor," he replied. "Your eye color is an important thing, child. I have to pretend I'm blind to keep mine hidden."

Frisk pursed their lips as they glared down at the bucket in irritation. "So…do you know where they are?"

"I did—but they cleared out after my escape," he replied. "Who knows—they might even be in the city."

"…but that means you're hiding on two fronts…"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"…you definitely blend in more since we saw you last."

"Thanks to you."

Frisk tilted their head. "Hm?"

"Child…" He chuckled, a soft smile coming to him. "You filled that cup with the same coin you're putting into the bucket."

The child looked up innocently. "So?"

"Do you understand what all that gold meant?"

"…um…a shopping trip?" the child asked, not understanding, due to how they had been kept sheltered during their time in the human world.

"Mmm, more like a King's ransom."

The child blinked. _'Buddy, not sure where you've been living, but he's saying the gold we gave him is worth **a lot** down here.'_

Frisk looked up as they caught on to that. "I didn't know…but…I guess it helped?"

"I used enough to get me back on feet. Got a roof over my head and food to eat…and for now I'm slowly donating the rest of it—can't really advertise myself to the city, now can I?"

"…you could hoard it…"

"I could, but…" He smiled. "That day when I saw you…you gave me a way out of my mess. I'd like to pass that on to others, if just a little."

"But…do you really want to live in hiding for the rest of your life?" Frisk asked.

"Not practically, but I don't really have a choice in the matter."

"Maybe you do," Frisk murmured.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"…you know, in the Monster Kingdom…D…our King, Asgore used to dress up as a Santa for the children, but…" Their dual colored eyes dimmed. "He's not around to do that right now…but, I'm sure the children could accept the tale of there being a human Santa and a monster Santa."

"You're saying to move up into the mountain?" the gray-eyed asked.

Frisk nodded. "Eye color doesn't mean anything up there," they assured. "Some monsters even have brown eyes."

"Brown eyes?" the human breathed. "That's not something we have here…"

Frisk shook their head. "What do you say then?"

"Well, I'm risking it by staying around, aren't I? If I don't get spotted for my eyes—people from that group might find me instead…I'd take the government over that."

"Is the government bad?" Frisk asked.

"Sheltered maybe," he replied. "But, not corrupted or anything if that's what you're worried about. You can relax, little Ambassador. You're not mingling with bad news."

"So…"

"How soon can you get me there?"

Frisk grinned, and held up a hand. "Whenever you're ready…" Their blue eye began to glow a little. "We know a shortcut."

The monsters within had debated on the trustworthiness of the man, but…if he hadn't meant well to them, it was odd for him to be attempting to create donations and the like. He was risking it a little to be out here if he had enough money to fare well—it didn't make sense to draw attention to himself.

"You're rather trusting," the man murmured.

"We get that a lot," Frisk assured. "Though…I guess we should ask for your name. I'm Frisk…who are you?"

"My name…?" He went to reply, and then paused; looking down at what he wore, before he started laughing.

"Wh…what's so funny?" Frisk asked.

"If I told you it was Nicolas, would you believe me?"

The monsters were confused, whereas Frisk burst out laughing, clutching their sides. "Maybe!" Once Frisk recovered, they reached out with an accepting hand, not caring about pasts or appearances. Despite the past few years, Frisk was still the same merciful little child that had went through the Underground.

* * *

One evening, Grillby found himself at the new monster business. It was near closing time, so the only customers left were their friends. Of course, one had to be Gerson, and the elemental had to spend the past hour being teased relentlessly about Muffet. The turtle couldn't help it—the elemental was just far too easy to fluster.

There was also the fact that he was usually hard to get a reaction out of—so now the others were milking it for all it was worth—much to Grillby's horror. Eventually, he ended up shooing them out, with Gerson questioning if Grillby would want a shortcut home. Grillby politely declined. He had to tidy up, and would be here for another hour, and besides, he had things to do in the city the next morning, so it was better to stay here.

"Besides," Grillby murmured. "If I went with you with Gerson along, he'd just tease me all the way back."

"He's on to me," Gerson snickered.

After they were gone, and he cleaned up, he noticed that someone was pacing back and forth frantically upstairs. He frowned, and headed up the stairs to find Muffet pacing, with Cupcake and the two ghosts watching from the entry of what had become the living room. "Muffet?" the elemental questioned. "What's wrong?"

She turned to him, seeming rather distressed. "Grillby, there's something horrible outside!" she exclaimed, pointing to the window. Grillby frowned, and strode over to it, peering into the night, trying to spot whatever it was—he stopped when he finally realized. He turned, and looked at her silently, his flames crackling.

"You are stressing out this much…over snow?"

"It's cold!" she protested.

"You're inside…"

"This was not in my job description!"

Grillby sighed, and approached her, leaning down with a chuckle, a smile forming in his flames. "You didn't have a job description."

"No, but you do now."

He blinked in confusion. "What do you mean by that—"

She suddenly pressed close. "You're my personal heater until Spring," she grumbled.

Grillby jerked in surprise, before his flames dimmed and crackled. He drew his arms around her to keep her warm. She happily accepted the contact—and even stole a kiss out of it, swiftly leaving him flustered.

Muffet giggled. "You made the first move on this, and yet I keep breaking you…"

"Well…erm…about that…" he continued mumbling weak protests, but she simply decided to cut him off with another.

Though to their amusement, the ghosts ducked back into the living room. Chara had no interest in watching, whereas Alma poked their head back into sight, peeking between their fingers. "Muffet, we have an audience…"

Muffet turned with a giggle. "What are you doing, Alma?" she teased. "Are you spying for that old turtle?"

"Oh gods, please no…"

There were bright sparks to signal that Chara was laughing just out of sight…at least someone was enjoying this.

Alma shook their head while Chara floated through the wall, obviously snickering at the whole thing. They floated past the two monsters, before pausing at the window, pressing close as something caught their attention in the back lot. The two monsters drew apart with Grillby frowning in concern. "Chara?"

The brighter ghost pointed insistently, and the two monsters came forth. Within the dark, they easily spotted a green light. "Fiona…" Grillby murmured, but Muffet felt him tense. There was something wrong.

"Grillby…?"

"Her flames are dim…" The girl staggered her way through the back lot. That wasn't like her…usually she came through the front door, and one arm was drawn over her face. The two monsters heard the door creak open, and then be carelessly shut, before there was a set of rushing footsteps on the stairs.

Not even a moment later, Fiona came into sight, climbing up the stairs, turning at the top—and realizing the two were right there.

Grillby moved forward swiftly. "Fiona—" He gave a sound of surprise as she plowed into him, crying into his chest. Instantly, he drew his arms around her, confused, but mostly concerned. "Fiona?"

"Dearie?" Muffet called as Grillby effortlessly scooped the young elemental up, moving her into the living room, sitting down on the couch with her as the ghosts flew after him, with Muffet and Cupcake following suit.

The older elemental swiftly looked her over. Her light was abnormally dim, but there weren't signs that she had been hurt, aside from perhaps a stray snowflake hitting her form, but not enough to raise concern. No…she was dim purely due to emotions.

"Fiona…what happened?"

Muffet rested a hand on the back of the couch, leaning slightly while the younger monster shuddered, hiccupping harshly as she tried to calm herself, but every time she tried to speak, she just broke down again.

Slowly, Muffet came around and sat down next to them, the two ghosts slowly floating over, and Cupcake jumping onto the side, making sounds of concern. It took a while for her to say anything, but when she did…Grillby's light darkened briefly, but he did not say a thing about it, as he held her close, until finally, she fell asleep.

He took her to her room, swiftly tucking her in, returning as his flames snapped and crackled as he turned to find Muffet at the entryway. "I…I have no words for that," she murmured. "Her…boyfriend…?"

"He dumped her," Grillby muttered.

"Are…are you going to be okay? You seem…"

"It's not the fact that he dumped her that's the problem," Grillby replied as he stood. "He didn't need to do it so harshly—and not even a half a year after her parents died. That's what I have a problem with." He march over to the door, and looked to Muffet. "Can you keep an eye on her?"

"…where are you going?" she asked worriedly.

"To have a word with him."

"Grillby…" she managed uncertainly.

"Do not worry," he assured. "It'll be under control. I just…I just need to make sure someone's keeping an eye on her…"

"I can do that; just…please don't set anything on fire?"

"I'll resist the urge," he replied.

With that, he was gone, with Muffet staying vigil for the heartbroken girl. It wasn't until the very middle of the night that Grillby returned. Muffet stood, racing to the stairs as she heard him come in. He was covered in a light dusting of snow that he was already brushing off, with only slight protests from his flames.

"Grillby?" Muffet called as she came down. "How…how did it go?"

"I found him," Grillby assured. "I spoke with him. Though I found out why he dumped her through some other friends of his." The snaps and crackles were evident as he spoke. He was angry. "He dumped her because she was 'no longer fun' and was 'too much trouble'." Grillby gave a snarl, a frown of white flames showing briefly.

Muffet's eyes widened and she closed her fists tight. "Ohh," she managed, gritting her teeth. She was furious now as well. "Now, if I had it my way," she growled.

"I had a word with him," Grillby assured.

"What did you even say…?"

"Nothing much," Grillby replied, blue flames dancing on his form. "Just that if he ever came near my niece again, I'd personally take care of him."

Muffet sighed, and then came forward, hugging him. "You're a little scary when you're mad…"

"Apologies…"

"Don't be," she murmured. "…honestly, I find it attractive."

Muffet smirked as his flames went back to normal, and then darkened. "Oh dear," she giggled. "I think I just defused you~"

"Um…thank you?"

"…let's just get you upstairs so you can check up on your niece."


	84. Each and Every Word

Muffet giggled. "Grillby, where are we even going?"

"I told you it's a surprise. Why do you insist on continuously asking me?"

"Mm, maybe you'll get tired of my asking and just answer?" she asked. Two hands were draped around the elemental's neck, while two more covered her eyes upon his request.

Grillby chuckled. "Not a chance—we're almost there as it is."

"Better hurry, Mr. I might just sneak a peek~"

"You better not," he playfully chided. "You can't see where yet."

"Oh, who said I was going to look at where we were?"

Grillby paused, his flames moving oddly, before he looked down at her as she grinned, her little fangs gleaming. "Muffet…" he mumbled as his flames darkened.

"Oh, now I really want to look."

"Muffet!"

She giggled deviously. "Shouldn't play this with me then~"

"You just don't play fair," he grumbled.

"That is a possibility…"

"I could just head back…"

"But I know you won't," the spider replied.

"…true."

"So…"

"Yes?"

"Are we there yet?"

Grillby sighed. "Almost," he assured the teasing spider monster. Sure enough, in a few minutes, he slowed. " _Now_ you can look."

She turned to him, dramatically removing her hands as her eyes opened. "Oh, you recovered. Some fun you are," she added jokingly.

Grillby seemed to give the equivalent of rolling his eyes. "Just look," he mumbled.

The spider shifted her position, only to pause, blinking in surprise. Grillby had taken them up onto the mountain to the familiar area with the ledge that let them see out to the lands surrounding them. It was late evening, the ocean seeming to swallow the last of the sun's light.

Searching the area, Muffet found two boxes kept in a tree away from the ledge, and a CD player on the ground.

"Grillby…what is this?" she asked, though a smile was on her face.

"A date," he stated simply.

"I see that!" she laughed.

"And here I was worried…"

Muffet snickered, and gently whacked him on the shoulder. "You Sir—are hopeless!"

"And yet you put up with me."

She folded her arms. "I can't help that you make up for it with irresistible charm." His flames darkened upon that.

She snickered. "So, what is the plan, then?"

"…dinner…and then…music?"

Her smile softened. "Well, you've definitely improved over time…" They had danced occasionally, though as Muffet found—she had to lead the dance as Grillby practically had two left feet when they started out. Thankfully, she was patient, and he had certainly improved, though it was still preferred for her to lead.

He gently set her down, and then grabbed the food he had prepared. The two sat at the ledge, looking at the world below. "It's always a little colder up here," the spider murmured as she snuggled into his side. "Even though it's spring now."

"It is still early in the season," Grillby commented.

"Time is flying by all the same," Muffet stated, and then frowned. "Though Winter takes its sweet time."

Grillby chuckled. "You just don't like the cold."

Muffet gave a shudder. "Who even does?"

"Just every resident in Snowdin."

She glared at him half-heartedly, while he just laughed.

The spider rolled her eyes. "Though come summer…it'll be four years since Frisk broke the barrier."

"Amazing what little ones can do," Grillby murmured.

"Speaking of little ones…do you think Alma and Chara will be all right?"

The elemental nodded. "Fiona and Napstablook are both there, they'll be fine," he assured.

"Did Napstablook tell you anything?" she asked.

"No…why?"

"They said they'd have a surprise for us soon, I was just curious as to what they meant."

Grillby shook his head. I'm afraid I wouldn't know," he honestly replied. "Napstablook is always up to something strange, in some form or another."

Muffet nodded. "They've been up to something for the past few months, honestly."

"Not that I'm complaining," Grillby stated. "Napstablook's help is most welcomed."

"Well, your role hasn't been too demanding as of late."

"Which I'm grateful for," Grillby assured. "We haven't even had meetings for a few months, and things have smoothed out for the monster kingdom as well."

Muffet nodded. "Some more monsters have been coming to the city…it…admittedly isn't perfect, but…"

"It's a start."

She gave a hum of agreement, finishing up her meal. "You've even had time to work down here…though I wouldn't mind more customers."

"Well, through the ties we've made, we do get enough to keep us afloat," Grillby stated.

"True…that one boy's group is most helpful…and Jeremiah is always sending people our way."

Grillby chuckled, the last of his food vanishing into his fire. "We'll manage, I'm sure. Now if only Mettaton could unfuse Frisk. Then we'd be making some headway."

"Indeed," she murmured as he took the empty boxes, placing them to the side as Muffet daintily tidied herself up. "Well then…shall we?"

Grillby rose and offered a hand with a smile. She accepted it; allowing him to pull her gently to her feet, before he moved over to the CD player, allowing it to start. The music was slow for the moment, mostly so that Muffet could start easy on the poor elemental, as she would rule any dancefloor, where he would have been content to stay on the sidelines.

However, he knew Muffet loved dancing, and with that, had been determined to at least learn _something_ about it—even if it was just simple movements. With Muffet though, he wouldn't be surprised if she taught him more, though he was fine with simple as they danced.

She smiled, leading him through the moves, not minding that she had to lead, though she noticed that he was, bolder, and near the end of one of the songs, she found that he was the one leading instead.

The spider didn't mind, letting him do as he pleased, as the music picked up the pace. It wasn't perfection—but she enjoyed it, and that was what mattered as they turned about in circles, with Muffet giving a startled gasp as she twirled, and came right back to him, but it quickly morphed into a laugh.

Grillby's flames brightened, crackling merrily as they continued, and when the song came to an end, he gently pushed her away, taking half a step back. She curtsied, and he bowed…before dropping down to one knee, catching the spider off guard. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she looked down at him. "G…Grillby…?" she asked.

His flames dimmed out of nervousness. "Muffet…" She nodded numbly, her imagination five steps ahead, with her mind screaming to not get ahead of herself. "I'm not the one for flowery speeches, or to sing your praise, but I hope that, what I lack when it comes to telling you, has been made more obvious in my actions."

Muffet smiled gently. "It's not that you're bad with words, like you always claim. You're simply quiet, not needing a speech every time, so that when you do find the need to talk—each and every word is important, and everything you mean is honest and…" There was a sound of amusement. "Amazing, let's settle with that."

She giggled as his flames darkened. "Don't let me lead whatever this conversation is!" she exclaimed. "Just…just know your words aren't going to betray you here…no matter how flowery or simple you make them."

Grillby's flames darkened further, and he was quiet for several moments, before drawing something out, though his hands hid it. "Muffet…" There was a pause as he suddenly opted to remove his glasses, tucking them into a shirt pocket, his off white eyes looking up to her quietly.

Finally, his hand revealed what looked like a small black box, though it was swiftly opened, revealing something within.

"…will you…?" The words drifted into silence—or perhaps they just weren't heard—as Muffet stared down at a golden ring with a lavender gem.

She had a feeling, the moment he knelt down, but now that it was plainly there, her mind had shut down briefly as she stared, mesmerized, before her eyes focused again, and she had a counter measure.

With a grin, she rested her hands on his. "Yes…on one condition~"

He perked happily in relief, and then titled his head. "What…condition?"

Muffet grinned, and leaned close. "Once we're married…" she whispered in his ear as she allowed him to slip on the ring. "…I want kids." Grillby's flames instantly went to a dark reddish pink, and any other words he might have had were no longer usable.

* * *

And the next month flew by.

"Grillby, Dear~" Grillby poked his head into the stairwell, looking up to see Muffet peering over the railing. "Have you finished closing up?"

"Indeed I have."

"Then hurry up here," she replied.

The elemental strode up the stairs with a chuckle, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "And what did you need me—?" She tugged on his collar to get him to lower his head, and stole a kiss.

"What?" she asked as he gave her a knowing look. "I'm allowed to kiss my husband whenever I please."

He snorted. "It hasn't even been a week and you settled yourself in comfortably."

"Well of course," Muffet replied. "Now that the whole fuss is over, I do have you all to myself."

"Hello…?" came a quiet voice.

"…mostly to myself."

Grillby chuckled and they turned to see Napstablook poking their head through the wall. "Oh…I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"Not at all," Grillby assured, drawing an arm around his wife. "What's going on?"

The ghost smiled, and vanished briefly, only to reappear in the doorway with Chara and Alma. "The three of us have a surprise for you…um, we meant to have it ready a little sooner…but oh no, I'm sorry, it was my fault it got delayed…"

Muffet smiled. "You three have a surprise for us?"

The ghosts nodded, and Alma shuffled nervously forward, looking quietly up at the monsters.

"…hello…?" came a soft voice, barely a breath.

The two stiffened, and then they knelt down. "Did you just…?" Muffet stammered.

Alma nodded. "…I…I have a question…"

"And what's that, Little One?" Grillby asked gently.

"Can I…can I…" They faded greatly, and glanced up, looking like a kicked puppy. "Can I…call you Mommy and Daddy…?"

Muffet's eyes blinked several times, before she squealed and drew the child close. "Grillby, they're killing me with their adorableness!"

Grillby affectionately rested a hand on Alma's head. "She means, 'yes you may'."

Alma sank in relief within Muffet's hold, while Chara floated over. Muffet looked up. "Yes, Dearie~?"

"Um…" They looked away, one hand grabbing their other arm. "Look…I'm…not going to call you that, obviously…would you be satisfied with Aunt and Uncle?"

"Of course," Grillby assured. "Whatever you're comfortable with." Chara smiled, and then let themselves get drawn into the cuddling.

Muffet glanced up. "Napstablook, how did you…?"

"Oh…well…um…"

The ghost faded bashfully. "Well," they started. "Ghosts need to use their energy to create a voice—much like how you two do, but, they used to be humans, so they needed to relearn how to direct their energy…but that's not all they figured out…"

"Oh?" Muffet asked. "What else did they learn?"

The ghosts suddenly flew away, going into the living room, only for Alma to sail back through the wall, stopping abruptly as Chara poked their head out after them, seeming to stare at them. Alma sheepishly rubbed the back of their head, and then floated back.

The two came around to the entry way…holding a piece of paper. Muffet gasped happily. "You can pick up things~!"

Alma came over, and raised it fully. "…drew you gift…"

The two studied it. The drawing was messy—obviously made by a young child with little stick figures with various details to signal who they were supposed to be. With careful observation, the two figured it was a drawing of them, the ghosts, and Fiona. Muffet smiled. "That's so cute~"

Before the two ghosts could say anything else, she drew them close, and hugged them. Grillby chuckled. "Well, seeing as we have two children here, I think I'll take my leave." Muffet smirked, grabbing the cuff of his sleeve, though she did not say anything else with the little ones present, while Napstablook just sank into the floor, mumbling their embarrassment.

* * *

The next evening; Muffet sat by the fireplace in the living room. It was colder than usual that night, and she was trying to keep herself warm. She glanced over as Grillby walked in with some new coloring books. Now that Alma could get their hands on crayons, they had to work on keeping them occupied.

Muffet watched him, and the moment he set them down, he gave a gasp as something wrapped around his torso and sent him over to her. He looked down to see a thread stuck to him while the spider glanced up from her fortress of blankets. With another gasp he was brought down and she stole a position on his lap. "I'm cold, and you're now my personal heater."

He sighed in amusement. "You could have just asked," he stated as he drew his arms around her.

"Hmm," was her vague reply as she snuggled into him, dozing off rather swiftly now that she was no longer instantly freezing.

It was a while later that she stirred, feeling Grillby's hand idly combing her hair. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Fiona kneeling down. "Oh, are you awake…Aunt Muffet?" The term was still new to her, but the spider didn't mind.

"Just stirring in and out, but I'm awake," she assured.

Fiona held up a cup. "Uncle Grillby said you were cold, so…I made you hot chocolate."

Muffet grinned, taking the cup, the warmth seeping into her fingers. "Thank you, Dearie," she assured, making a hum of content as she took a few sips of the warm drink.

Grillby looked up. "Would you like to watch something?" he offered. "The television should be working again."

"If it's all right…"

"Don't mind us, Dearie," Muffet replied as the ghosts poked their heads in. Fiona smiled, setting things up, and as the movie started, Muffet found herself with the two elementals and the ghosts pressed close…not that the freezing spider was about to complain. She smiled, some of her lower arms draping over Grillby's as she tried to take all of his warmth.

Now if only she had made him her personal heater sooner…


	85. Faint Insignia

Grillby looked up at the clamor within his city tavern. It was late evening on a late summer night, and there were monsters and humans alike at the table. Sitting at the bar were Gerson, Dogamy, Michael, and William, while scattered at the other tables were Mettaton, Napstablook, Frisk, Dogaressa, along with the puppies—along with Rex, Clarabelle, the couple from across the bay, and even Kyle had come in with his group.

The elemental glanced around as Fiona pitched in with helping—she technically wasn't a worker, but as of late, she volunteered when she could. Grillby paused as something jumped onto his back, six arms wrapping around him. "Muffet?" he questioned, not even looking, and still continuing what he was doing.

"I'm cold," she grumbled to him.

"It's a summer night, how are you cold?"

"Because you have the air conditioning on!" she quietly exclaimed. "It's freezing in here!"

"Don't you have a bakery to run?"

"Everyone's asking for dinner," she stated. "So they're all ordering from your side right now…"

He sighed in amused exasperation, before looking up to someone's snickering.

Gerson was looking at them in amusement, a teasing glint in his eyes. "So, brought your wife to work, hmm?"

Grillby stared. "Congratulations, you've noticed," came the dead-pan reply. "You get a cookie."

Michael snickered, while Gerson folded his arms. "You know, you were a lot easier to mess with _before_ you got married," he complained. "Muffet, why did you fix that?"

She poked her head up onto the elemental's shoulder. "That wasn't my intention…it just happened."

"Well, unfix it," the turtle joked. "It's no fun to not be able to mess with him. He used to get so flustered when I dragged you into the picture."

"Good luck with that now," Grillby replied. "If we're married, then all your teasing amounts to nothing. You can't tease about the relationship because its official and I can relax about it now."

Gerson huffed. "Then I seem to only have one weapon left."

"And that would be…?"

The turtle glanced back to assure that none of the children were in ear-shot. "So, anything cooking?"

Muffet instantly buried her face into the elemental's shoulder, whereas Grillby was still unphased. "Regardless of the answer," he replied steadily. "What would it matter to you? If we're married, that doesn't matter much in the way of teasing."

William chuckled. "You're right, Gerson. It is no fun."

Dogamy smiled. "Though I'm impressed, Grillby. You used to go so dark whenever he started teasing you."

Gerson huffed. "Well, there went my entertainment now that I can't just fluster you with an offhand comment."

"Well, Grillby sure doesn't miss it," Michael joked.

"I, in fact, do," Muffet suddenly interjected. "So, if I may propose something?"

"What?" the turtle asked.

"By all means, do your best to fluster him—I find it rather endearing."

Grillby snapped his head to the side. "Why are you encouraging them?"

"I just said why," she giggled.

"You've just made this evening more difficult."

"Sounds like I'll need to compensate you."

His flames stilled. "Dearest, what are you hinting at?"

"Well, if you survive this evening without being flustered…" Her voice dropped to a whisper.

His flames flickered, and then he went back to cleaning, his expressions completely unreadable.

Michael frowned. "Hey…wait a minute!" He pointed accusingly at Muffet. "Now that you've motivated him into playing 'poker face', we'll never get him no matter what we say."

"Oh," the spider mused. "I'm sure if you tried hard enough, you'll figure out a way. Though, it doesn't matter how this ends—I'll win regardless~"

"Crafty woman," Gerson muttered with amusement.

Muffet simply gave a hum of content, resting her head on her husband's shoulder.

On the other side of the room, Rex cheered, jumping up in their chair. "I won!"

Frisk smiled down at the checker board as they removed their last red piece from it. _'Aw man,'_ Undyne chuckled. _'They're getting good at this!'_

 _'No kidding,'_ Sans replied. _'They're going to be giving us a run for our money at this point…'_

 _'The Great Papyrus, however, is very impressed by their vast improvements!_

The fusion blinked slowly, and then started setting up again, only to pause as they heard footsteps approaching and they glanced looked up to see Clarabelle. "Hello, Frisk," she greeted. "May we talk?" Frisk paused, and then glanced to Rex.

"Oh, um…yo, no problem, I'll play with the pups." They wiggled themselves off the chair, and trotted off.

The woman grinned, and then took a seat. "Well, you know I've wanted to talk to you for a while." Frisk nodded, remembering that Clarabelle had been asking to speak with them for the past few weeks, but something kept coming up, and now, they finally had some time. "Though," she murmured sheepishly. "I didn't realize so many people would be here this evening…"

Frisk shrugged helplessly. "Can't help that."

"No, I suppose not," she murmured in amusement. "Still…" Then something dawned upon her. "That's right, the House Mouse is still open, and Jeremiah doesn't typically have a lot of customers this late at night. Would you feel up to going there?" Frisk thought for a moment, and then nodded with a smile. They hadn't seen Jeremiah in a while, so it was fine by them.

"Perfect," she replied. "Now…"

"Um…" Clarabelle glanced up in surprise to see Fiona. "Sorry, I overheard you," she mumbled. "I was wondering…if it's not a bother…could I tag along? I won't be by you at the table, just…accompany you there."

The woman blinked, and then smiled. "If you wish," she said as she started to stand. Fiona nodded, but before anything else could be done, there was a string of music. "Oh!" Clarabelle pulled her cell phone out. "Sounds like I got a text. Why don't you two get ready while I answer this?"

Fiona nodded. "That's fine…here, Frisk, let's go get your cloak." The child gave a hum and slipped out of their chair. They felt comfortable here, and didn't hide their form so much, so they followed the elemental into the back to retrieve it.

"…are you all right?" Frisk asked quietly.

"Huh?" Fiona turned, glancing to them, before heading upstairs. "What makes you ask that?"

"…it was kind of abrupt—you don't do tag-alongs—not like that…"

Fiona sighed, heading into the den to grab the cloak, while Chara and Alma looked up from where they were watching the television, though Alma was lying on the floor, coloring something as they did.

The elemental returned, handing it over. "It's just…" Fiona sighed. "It's nothing."

"It's something." Frisk slipped the cloak on, adjust the hood, and then looked up quietly, looking somewhat regal as they did so.

"I'm not…"

Frisk tilted their head, and waited.

Fiona glared. "You can't just steal Uncle Grillby's tactics."

"I've got several others to go through…"

The young elemental groaned. "Honestly…"

"Please?"

Fiona huffed. "It's nothing—I just…I need a break from the crowd."

"…it's getting overwhelming, isn't it?" Frisk murmured, though it might have been Toriel taking the lead in this situation.

She shrugged. "I don't know; I…just need some quiet time away from…all of them."

Frisk cooed, and came forth, giving the elemental a hug. Fiona sighed. "They're happy, and they have every right to be—and I should feel happy too…but I just don't right now. The pups are playing with their parents…you've got your friends…Uncle Grillby married…all these good things are happening, and yet…I just feel empty."

Frisk tightened their grip. "…it hurts a lot, we know…" It was confusing now, to understand who was talking, when they all had their different ways of understanding the elemental, and all had different methods. "It hurts for now…it's going to hurt for a long while, but…over time, you get better…it may not be today, or tomorrow, but…things will turn around eventually…"

The child pressed their head against her. "I know they're just words…but it's okay. You acknowledge it…just remember that you'll feel better eventually…okay…?"

Fiona sighed softly, and gently stroked their hair. "You're just hopeless, you know that, Frisk?"

"…nuh-uh."

On their way back, they glanced to Rex, who was playing with the pups, and smiled. At least they'd be entertained while they were gone.

"Ready?" Clarabelle asked as she stood by one of the doors, adjusting her purse. The two nodded. "Excellent, I'll let Jeremiah know we're on our way," she said, texting rapidly. "That way he'll have a table or two ready for us." Within a minute, she was done, and they headed out into the early night.

The three walked quietly, without a word to be said. The walk wasn't too long, so it wasn't much of a concern. It was uneventful for the most part, until ear fins twitched, flames flickered, and aqua eyes began looking side to side. "Clarabelle," Frisk murmured.

"We're being followed," the woman clarified, slipping her hand into her purse as Frisk started to turn—there was a crackle of energy, and then Frisk cried out, electricity dancing over their small form, before they collapsed on the ground, knocked out cold, their fingers twitching.

Fiona and Clarabelle looked up in alarm as several humans cloaked in black stood over the fallen form of the Ambassador. The elemental was like a deer caught in headlights, whereas Clarabelle took action. "Get away from them!" she shouted angrily, her eyes glowing as she summoned constructs, pushing them away.

Clarabelle started to move forward in order to grab the unconscious child—only to suddenly be grabbed from behind, a hand clamping over her face. She gave a muffled cry—before going limp in their hold and dropping carelessly to the ground.

Fiona stared in horror, realizing she was the only one left—and she knew nothing about fighting. Her flames were dim in fear.

' _Where's Frisk!?'_ Toriel exclaimed.

' _No time for that!_ Undyne snapped. ' _We need to get this body moving!'_

Alphys piped up. _'Frisk should be fine—just unconscious—their body is still reacting to the shock though…'_

 _'Why weren't we affected by the shock as well?_ ' Papyrus questioned.

 _'Because our minds aren't physical,'_ ' Sans managed as the fusion's eyes slowly opened. _'They can knock the kid out…'_

 _'But we'll stay alert,'_ Asgore clarified.

The fusion waited a few moments—before suddenly leaping to their feet, catching the surrounding humans off guard. They tried to summon their magic—but they felt unsteady, trying to puppet the body without Frisk, and so they were only working on a bare minimum.

 _'Move it!'_ Undyne suddenly snapped, taking control as the fusion raced forward, leaping onto a human's shoulder, and without hesitation, sank her teeth at the base of his neck, right on his shoulder.

The human cried out, reaching and grabbing Frisk by one of their horns, trying to shake them loose, but Undyne refused, snarling harshly as they clawed with their feet. Ear fins twitched—another was coming…they lashed out with their tail, certain they hit an arm of a reaching human—swiftly dissuading them from doing it again.

The right eye lost its color as Papyrus drew back with uncertainty, not liking the violence—whereas the left eye became flooded with magic as Sans grew enraged. How _dare_ they!

The fusion cried out as a human finally managed to grab them by their hair, yanking them back. Undyne lost their grip as they were sent to the ground, tumbling, with only some fragments of blue magic easing the landing. They spat out blood, despising the taste of it as they wiped some of it off their chin.

 _'We need to get a grip!'_ Sans exclaimed. _'We're useless without some magic at our disposal!'_

 _'You focus on magic,'_ Undyne growled, drawing out their dagger now that she had a moment to think.

 _'Actually—Sans should worry about d—dodging!'_ Alphys exclaimed.

 _'Alphys has an excellent point!'_ Papyrus called from the back. _'We wouldn't want Frisk to wake up to a battered body!'_

"Heh…" Sans murmured, the blue eye glowing vividly as the fusion side stepped. "Well," the fusion said aloud. "I hope you realized that you've made a terrible mistake…now that you've knocked Frisk out…"

Papyrus cringed, not liking what was following as both eyes of the fusion went completely black.

 _ **"We don't have to play nice…"**_

 _'Erm, Sans! Undyne!'_ Papyrus suddenly exclaimed from his posistion. _'We need to focus on our blue magic to get Clarabelle to a shortcut—not to mention Fiona! We should run!'_

 _'Run!?'_ Undyne demanded.

 _'Yes!'_ Toriel exclaimed, stepping forth. _'Papyrus is right—we should run with the others!'_

Sans huffed. ' _Undyne, try to keep us alive for a few minutes, I'll see if I can't get our blue magic working…'_

Undyne's grin came upon the fusion. "I think I can keep this lot entertained until then…" Though without Frisk awake to help channel their magic through a physical body, they weren't going to have much luck.

The fusion dodged expertly, and then, it was all Undyne. The moves were fluid, but unpredictable as they swung the dagger with an expert hand. It wasn't a spear, but Undyne still knew what she was doing.

However, that wasn't the problem. It was the number of enemies. There had to of been at least two groups since Clarabelle had been snuck up on from behind, and the fusion noticed that they were being surrounded, and at this rate, a shortcut was becoming unlikely.

Undyne went to swing—and a hand grabbed their wrist. With a gasp, the fusion spun, glaring up with empty eyes, before trying to lash out with their other hand, only for another human to grab their wrist. They cried out at a sudden harsh twist, their hand opening, and the worn dagger clattered to the ground.

Alphys shrieked and managed to get some of her magic through their form, shooting out at a human—but it wasn't enough to kill as they were suspended in the air, kicking harshly, until their movements were halted as a blue magic came around them. The fusion shrieked—mainly in rage—but there was an underlining tone of terror.

"Frisk!" Fiona cried, sending flames forward. She had dissuaded humans from coming too close, but she wasn't enough to stop them from going after the fusion—however, she had to do something, and so she raced forward, flames building up as she sent out several attacks.

The fusion stiffened at the sound of a loud hissing noise. The fire coming at the humans vanished as one human came forth—fire extinguisher in hand.

Fiona froze, and began to back up, her flames dimming in fear as she got backed into a building. The human raised it up, and with no clear escape—and caught in such a wild moment—the elemental froze. Her eyes locked onto the human—onto a faint insignia that he wore.

The canister let loose—and Fiona shrieked at the direct hit.


	86. Reaper's Harvest

Michael perked as his phone began to ring. He set down his drink, pulling it out, flipping it open with one smooth motion. "'Ello?" he asked.

Jeremiah was the one who answered. "Hey, Michael…is Clarabelle still there?"

"Huh?" Michael looked around. "I think she stepped out, I don't see her. Why do you ask?"

"She said she was coming with the Ambassador and Fiona about thirty minutes ago. It's not even a fifteen minute walk, so I was wondering if they were held up…?"

Michael frowned. "I haven't seen them in a while…that doesn't sound right. Clarabelle would have called you to tell you she was late."

"That's why I'm worried…I'd go look myself, but…"

"Right…yeah, sit tight, I'll look into it."

Grillby perked as Michael closed his phone. "Is something wrong?"

Michael bit his lip, and then nodded; knowing Grillby had the right to know. "Jeremiah just called. Apparently Clarabelle took your niece and Frisk to go to the House Mouse, but it's been a while…"

"Fiona left?" Grillby asked in surprise, and then his flames dimmed with concern, with Muffet looking over.

"What do you want to do…?"

"I don't like this," Grillby stated. "I want to find her."

Dogamy stood. "I'll help as well; let me get my wife and Napstablook…"

Gerson huffed. "Someone needs to watch the pups though…"

"I'll ask Mettaton—he's expendable."

Muffet slipped down. "Here, I'll take care of the customers swiftly," she assured her husband. "Just get everyone else ready." With that, she moved, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Everyone—something came up and we have to close early. If you still have food, please come up here to grab a take-out box."

It didn't take long to handle the customers, and by then, they had a group assembled. Grillby, Dogamy, Michael, William, Napstablook, Dogaressa, and Rex, with Muffet coming as they all left.

Between the canines with their keen sense, and Napstablook with their soul detection, they set off ahead of the group, with Napstablook keeping to the skies. The ghost looked worriedly about as they followed the canines, trying to locate Frisk, as they tend to stand out with their unique collection of souls.

However, they had yet to find anything at all. They frowned in concern…something wasn't right. As they flew, the ghost paused. "Wait!" they called, getting the whole group to notice as they swooped down.

The ghost reached the ground, hovering by Clarabelle's slumped, motionless form. As the group caught up, Michael realized what it was, and rushed forward in alarm. "Clarabelle!" He dropped roughly to his knees, two fingers to her neck, before he gave a ragged sigh of relief. "She's alive…"

"They were attacked here," the ghost mumbled, and then looked up. "Oh no…" they whimpered as the rest of the group caught up.

"Napstablook?" Grillby asked.

"There's a monster soul by the wall," Napstablook managed, unable to tell anything else in the dark.

Grillby whisked around and headed over, his flames lighting up the area, before he stopped dead in his tracks. An attire was strewn upon the ground—Fiona's. He gave a ragged gasp of alarm as everything kicked back on and he rushed over. "FIONA!"

He noticed that by the collar of the shirt, there were some charred pieces of clothing. He pulled the collar back to find a lone green ember eating away at the clothing—barely a flame suited for a candle.

Grillby heard others approaching, but he didn't focus on them as he carefully scooped the flame up in his hands, surrounding the little ember carefully to shelter her from the wind. In this state, he knew she was oblivious to him—to most things, only understanding the desperate need to burn.

Dogamy looked down. "Oh gods…"

His wife looked at it, and them tugged on her husband. "Your cloak—take it off!"

He didn't need to be told twice as Muffet rushed forward, already making threads to burn as Grillby began donating flames to the little ember so that he could restore her. Dogaressa snatched away the black cloak from Dogamy, bringing it over. Once the ember was big enough to take up his palm, she held it, ready to cover the elemental as her original shape began to take form.

A minute later, she draped it over the younger monster, while Grillby's form started to diminish—but he didn't care. He had to get his niece stable! He poured more of his flames into her form, his light dimming, his form no longer filling his attire fully…but he pressed on.

Finally, when the green embers were enough to be the equivalent of an infant—Fiona gave a shriek, tossing an arm up in defense. Her Uncle gently grabbed her wrist, pressing his head against hers. "You're all right," he managed gently. "You're safe…I'm here…"

The black flames that made up her eyes looked up at him tiredly, before pitiful squeaks and whimpers began to escape her. "Un—Uncle Grillby!" She clung to him, afraid to let go, while he kept her close.

The rest of the group sighed in relief, before Napstablook looked around. "We need to get back to shelter…"

Michael nodded his agreement, carefully picking up Clarabelle, with William giving a hum of agreement. "Let's get back to the others," the albino replied. "Perhaps when one of them is ready, we'll figure out something."

Muffet looked over as she gave Grillby and Fiona threads to burn. "What about Frisk?"

Dogamy and Dogaressa sniffed around. "They were here," the female started.

"But there was obviously a scuffle…whoever came here, took them," Dogamy stated.

Gerson frowned. "That doesn't make sense…"

"Yo!" Rex piped up. "That's right, Frisk has red magic—and short cuts, they should have been fine!"

"Not if they were snuck up on," William replied. "Doesn't matter how good you are with red magic. If you don't see an attack coming, you might as well not have the abilities at all."

Grillby sheltered his niece. "Let's…just…just head back…"

* * *

Back at the restaurant, Fiona sat on the bar, shuddering. She had the form of a young child now. "Dear…" She looked up to see Grillby as he offered her a drink. "This should help…you're old enough now…"

She looked at it, warily raising what was technically an alcoholic beverage. She tipped it back, her flames instantly burning it as she regained more of her form. "Th—thank you," she managed, her voice still tight and stressed. "Wh…where's Clarabelle?"

"Upstairs, resting in the living room," Grillby replied—though only after he shooed Chara and Alma into Fiona's bedroom so that they stayed hidden. "It seems she was knocked out by something…"

"The humans…" Fiona mumbled, huddling up in the oversized cloak Dogamy had. The sleeves fell back to her elbows loosely as she stared absently at her now empty cup. "One snuck up behind her…and they put something over her mouth…she just dropped."

"Sounds like Chloroform," Michael murmured.

"What is that?" Muffet asked in concern.

"It's basically a chemical that can knock us out if we breathe it in." He winced. "Actually, might want to bring a bucket to her when she wakes…not going to be pretty."

Muffet pursed her lips, and then scampered off.

Michael looked to the weakened elemental quietly. "Hey…do you…think you're ready…?"

"Don't know what to say…we…we were attacked," Fiona managed. "At first we thought it was just a small group—but there were more. That's how she was snuck up on…and there were just more and more…they…they hit Frisk with something, and I heard electricity."

Michael clenched his fists. "A taser," he growled. "Shocks the nervous systems—and they're still a kid, they were probably knocked out cold!"

Fiona shrugged. "They…got back up though…"

Gerson looked over. "That could have been the other souls rising up. If they're only there as souls, they may be able to take control regardless if Frisk is conscious or not."

"They fought but…something was wrong, they weren't using magic, and they were overwhelmed…I…I tried to do something, and I approached them. But one of them…they had…they…" She began to shudder, dropping the glass as she grasped her head. "It hurt—it was _cold_ , I couldn't burn…"

Grillby drew his arms around her. "Shh, dear…it's all right, you're okay now."

She whimpered, snuggling into him. Michael relented, letting her calm down first. He looked around in concern as monsters moved about. Napstablook had headed out again, searching from the skies in hopes of finding Frisk—Dogamy was on his cell phone—after failing to get Frisk's phone to connect, he had called his pack, wanting them to come down as swiftly as possible.

Rex was pacing worriedly, claws clacking on the floor, and William was in the corner, quietly talking on his phone. Michael bit his lip. This wasn't good… He suddenly looked up as he heard a low moan.

"Miss Clarabelle, I insist—you should stay put!"

Clarabelle gave another moan as she trekked forth, shakily moving, clenching a bucket in front of her.

"Clarabelle!" Michael jumped up, and raced over to her. "Why are you even up—are you all right!?"

"I've been better," she managed. "Could you please talk a little more quietly?"

"Sorry," he whispered, and helped her to a seat. "Seriously, you should have stayed put."

"There's been an incident…I need to help any way I can…though, I'm not sure how much I can offer…it's all a blur…" She gave a moan. "Oh, when I find them…"

"You're not doing any finding," Michael scolded. "You can barely walk!" Clarabelle groaned, grasping her head, and he flinched. "Sorry…"

Clarabelle just gave a vague wave to assure that she'd live.

Grillby looked down at his niece. "It doesn't seem like she remembers much of what happened…dear, I'm counting on you, is there anything you can tell me?"

Fiona shuddered. "I don't know…they were clad in black…they were…organized…there…" She frowned. "They had a symbol on them."

Michael perked. "What did it look like?" he asked.

"I…" Her flames dimmed. "I don't know how to describe it."

"Could you draw it, Dear?" Grillby asked gently.

"M…maybe…?"

"I'll go get some paper," Muffet assured, scampering hastily up the stairs. In a few minutes, Fiona found herself with a notepad and pencil. Shakily, she attempted to draw it, working for quite some time—mostly due to the fact she had to keep erasing badly done lines as she struggled to keep her hand steady.

That was until Grillby gently held her hand. "Just draw," he assured. "I'll stop you from trembling."

She managed a shaky nod and attempted it again, slowly working, until finally, half an hour later, she was satisfied. "So…something like this," she said, turning it as William approached. The three humans stiffened, eyes widening.

The symbol was of a cloaked figure with a skull like face within the shadows of the hood, wielding what seemed to be a scythe, the blade in mid swing. On the inner side of the blade, as if the figure had caught them with his weapon—were seven hearts.

Clarabelle covered her face in horror. "Oh no…" she managed.

William abruptly turned, with Michael jerking his head. "W—William!? Where are you going?"

"If that's what caught Frisk…" He stopped at the door. "Then I have places to be."

"But shouldn't you help me ex—"

"Between you and Clarabelle, I'm sure you'll get the message across," William assured, and with that, was gone.

"Leader!" Clarabelle tried to stand, but Michael stopped her.

"Don't worry about him," he insisted. "He can get to the Capital Building without dying, believe it or not."

She groaned in exasperation, while Grillby looked to them. "What does the symbol stand for?" he demanded. "You seem to know the source…"

"It's…the symbol for a…well, now I can't say it without insulting your Kingdom," Michael murmured. "Regardless, they…they call themselves Reaper's Harvest."

* * *

When Frisk started to come around—they had no idea how much time had even passed. Hours sounded right, but there was no way to tell, as darkness was all that greeted them. They frowned, feeling for the others—but they could only faintly feel their presence. That was when they felt their tiara on their head. Wha…? When did they put that back on?

The child went to reach for it, but were forced to a halt as rope restricted them. The child gave a strangled gasp—becoming more alert to their situation. They tried to move in general, but legs and hands were bound—they were sitting…a chair? It was hard to tell in the dark. Their dual colored eyes tried to inspect what the full issue was, but they couldn't combat the dark.

If they had the magic of the others…Frisk started shaking themselves side to side in an attempt to rid themselves of the tiara. If they could just get it free—They froze at the sound of footsteps, and lights suddenly blared, efficiently blinding them as they let out a pain filled squeak. Thankfully, the lights dimmed as they blinked, now unable to see the figures coming all that well.

"Unharmed?" a voice asked.

"They put up some resistance, and have very minor injuries," another replied.

"Tch. Bosses say to take care of them and our goons ruff them up, typical," the first muttered.

"So, what do we do?"

"We'll move them soon…I just want to have a look at our very special prize." The figure knelt down, and Frisk felt their blood run cold. "Why yes, child, you have always been a special little thing, haven't you? The monster's pretty little Ambassador…and now, you're going to open up a door to us humans.

"What's the matter child?" they asked. "Something on my face?"

Frisk squirmed, wanting to get away from them as they struggled, whimpering as the rope hurt their wrists and their ankles.

They chuckled. "Struggle all you want—your little friends aren't about to help you."

Frisk bit their lip, their stomach twisting as the other souls were brought into the mess.

"Relax, you're not going to die," the human just outside of the light assured. "You're no good dead. No, you're a vassal, and we're going to tap into that potential of yours. Besides…we've been looking for you a long time, Frisk—after you vanished from the radar."

There was another chuckle. "Oh, of course you wouldn't remember that, would you? You were just a little toddler when that happened…but I suppose things are starting to make sense to you, hm?"

Frisk's eyes flared with emotion, their fingers twitching in vain as they tried to halt time.

There was a smirk, and Frisk cringed as a hand grabbed their chin. They tried to turn their head, but the hand yanked their head forward, forcing them to look up. "What are you even trying to accomplish? Even if you could use your magic right now, it'd be no good."

The child squirmed, shutting their eyes. They didn't want to look at a familiar face…

They didn't want to look at the crimson red eyes.


	87. Keep me Updated

Napstablook returned to Grillby's and Muffet's as the sun started to rise, slipping through the upstairs wall—pausing as they found Clarabelle trying to eat something on the couch, while Michael was sitting in a chair, picking away at what might have been a snack or a breakfast. Due to the events, schedules had been torn apart.

"Oh…" The two humans looked up as the ghost faded. "I'm sorry; I didn't know you were here…um…" They looked to Clarabelle. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm feeling better," she assured.

"Oh…that's good to hear," Napstablook murmured.

"Any luck?" Michael asked.

"No…which worries me," Napstablook replied. "Frisk usually stands out—they should be easy to find. The only thing I can think of is that they might be in a crowd—it's hard to tell souls apart in a mass of them…but…"

"That wouldn't even make sense for them," Michael pointed out. "They were taken—not shoved into a crowd of people."

"Exactly…any news on this end?"

Michael blinked, and looked to Clarabelle. "Wait—Napstablook wasn't here to know about Reaper's Harvest."

"…what?"

Clarabelle sighed wearily. "I suppose we'll have to tell them again."

"What…what's Reaper's Harvest?"

"They're an under—an organization," Clarabelle clarified. "They're who attacked us and took the Ambassador."

"Wh—why!?" Napstablook demanded. "Why would they take Frisk!?"

"There could be any number of reasons," the woman replied, staring down at the plate. "Reaper's Harvest is an elusive organization that—from what we do know—focuses on the study of souls."

Michael nodded. "If what William mentioned is true—there's plenty of reason to take them just based on Frisk's magic type."

Napstablook moaned. "And they've got even more souls…"

"They might not be able to do anything with those," Clarabelle pointed out. "Monster souls and human souls do seem to be quite different…"

The ghost seemed to start pacing, making worried noises. "But…how much time do we have to find them?"

Clarabelle shrugged. "They shouldn't be killing the Ambassador—not right away, at least. They're too unique to go killing…"

Michael cringed. "Right…" He looked up to the ghost. "We can't tell, but if William is right about their original magic being red…well—it's no wonder that the group would be clawing at them."

"But…if you can tell by eye color, how did they know?" the ghost asked.

"Maybe it wasn't the fact that they were red-eyed that drew them close then," Clarabelle replied.

"Then what did?" Napstablook demanded.

"They have their dual colored eyes," Clarabelle pointed out. "That's unheard of for us humans—honestly, their physical appearance alone could have easily caught that group's attention.

"Oh…" Napstablook mumbled. "That's true…they do stand out a bit…I'm sorry…"

Michael bit his lip. "This doesn't help though…" The ghost turned to look at the young man as he tapped his foot quietly. "This organization has been around for years—we rarely catch wind of its existence, let alone…"

"We'll find them," Napstablook stated firmly. "We have a few more things that we can do. They don't need a sign saying 'we are here' for us to find them. We just need time—and all the information you have on Reaper's Harvest."

The human nodded. "Right—I'll see what I can do."

Clarabelle gave a hum. "There should be a file on that group somewhere in storage…we should go grab it when we get the chance."

"I could get it," Michael offered.

"You're head of security—that doesn't give you the authority to go into the archives and take something out."

"It really should though," Michael argued.

"When I feel like I can move again, we could go and track it down," she assured.

"Oh…" Napstablook mumbled. "Um…do…do you need anything?"

"That should be my line."

The three looked up to see a weary William in the doorway. He stifled a yawn, and came in, resting his hands on the back of the couch. "How are you feeling, Clarabelle?"

"I'm faring well, Leader."

"Hey, where were you?" Michael asked.

"Getting things prepared," he replied. "I've got our force on high alert now since it looks like they've raised their head."

"Took that long?" Clarabelle asked idly. "You're getting rusty, Leader."

"It was late—I had to talk to several very tired people, Clarabelle."

"True…"

"Now…" William chuckled. "Do you need anything?"

"Just that these empty plates will need to get downstairs," Clarabelle replied.

"Oh, I can take those," Napstablook assured. "I'm going down now anyways…"

With that, the ghost grabbed the plates, and then phased through the floor with them. William watched him go, and then looked to Michael. "While I have you here, I need to give you some instructions for this situation."

"Yes, Sir?"

"We need to have constant patrols searching for this group now—the situation has escalated with them now that they've taken their little Ambassador into this mess."

"I'll get to work on that right away," Michael replied, already standing.

"And one more thing," William added.

"Hm?"

"Usually I let you handle these without having to report constantly," William replied. "But this time…keep me updated—I want to know when you find something, or when you find nothing. Understood? I want to be kept up to speed with whatever you're doing with this."

* * *

Downstairs, Napstablook found the canine pack sitting at a table. It seemed the whole pack was only just getting organized. It was mostly due to the timing of the kidnapping—by the time any of the pack could get down here, they were already tired—and they'd do no good falling asleep on the job.

So the pack found places to rest—with Muffet and Grillby offering up as much room as they could to accommodate everyone now that their home was swiftly becoming a base of operation for the monsters.

Dogamy had a map of the city spread out on the table, moving it slightly so that Doggo would get any use out of it. "Now they were attacked here," he stated, tapping the spot he had marked previously. "If we can pick up Frisk's scent, we can spread out in all directions and start tracking them down.

"It would help if we had a base scent with us," Dogaressa murmured.

Her husband groaned. "Except all of Frisk's stuff is back on Ebott, and we can't use shortcuts…"

"Oh…" The canines looked up to see Napstablook. "You need something with Frisk's scent."

Dogaressa nodded. "We were in such a rush to get the pack down here, we didn't think of having one of them grab something from the Royal's Home."

"Oh no…but um…could you get a scent off a weapon?"

Doggo smirked. "Course we can—what kind of trackers would we be if we couldn't manage that?"

Greater Dog gave a bark, and Doggo glared.

"That was a rhetorical question," he growled.

Lesser Dog seemed to be snickering at it, while Dogamy huffed.

"What do you have?" Dogaressa asked, ignoring the other canines, while the Amalgamate was in a corner, taking care of the pups.

"Um…" A moment later, Napstablook set the worn dagger down on the table. "This was on the ground when I went back to the scene…I think Frisk was fighting back, but…"

"They lost it in the fray," Dogamy stated.

With that, the pack leaned forward, taking in the scent on the dagger. "Think you can all manage on that?" Dogamy asked. There were sounds of agreement, and Dogamy nodded. "Then get ready," he ordered.

While the other three prepared, the couple went over to the Amalgamate to check on their pups. They were snuggled comfortably into their grandparents' side, their little limbs twitching as they slept. The parents pressed close, nuzzling and licking each little head. Most stayed asleep, their little limbs sometimes finding their parents' muzzles.

Yet, as they started to draw back, they halted as pale blue eyes opened. Canis raised her head, yawning. "Mummy…Daddy…where're you going?"

Dogamy knelt down. "To go look for your friend, don't worry about us, sweetie. You just be good now. Stay with your siblings and grandparents, all right?"

"…kay…" With that, she curled up, sleep swiftly claiming her again.

* * *

Once the pack left, Michael aided Clarabelle out of the restaurant alongside William in order to get her home so she could clean up—with the humans gone, Napstablook retrieved Chara and Alma from their hiding spot, allowing them to return to the living room. Alma stared blankly at their paper, a crayon hovering over the colorless page.

Chara stared at the television, constantly changing the channel as they tried to find something that would captivate their attention—but it was too early for cartoons to be playing, and so they found themselves bored—not that cartoons would have helped.

"Blooky?"

The ghost turned, catching sight of their cousin climbing the stairs. "Mettaton?"

"They told me you were up here," the robot explained. "Wanted to talk to you, because I—" Mettaton gave a shout of surprise as he stepped into the room, instantly jerking back out, his hands going to his head.

"Mettaton!" The ghost instantly darted over, fearing that it was another virus.

"Ow—what the heck!?" the robot exclaimed.

"What happened?" Napstablook demanded.

"I'm not sure…" Mettaton frowned. "There was just a lot of feedback when I stepped into the room…"

Napstablook turned. "Maybe it's the television?"

"Possibly," Mettaton replied. "I'm staying out here all the same…"

"I'm sorry, I can't blame you for that, it must have been really loud…"

"Don't apologize, Blooky…"

"Oh, I'm—"

"Don't you dare apologize for apologizing."

"Um…anyways?" Napstablook asked.

Mettaton folded his arms. "I might have something for you and the pack to look into…you know how Frisk made a habit of disappearing on us—sometimes in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah…one time they stayed at my place…what about it?"

"Well, to stop us from worrying, I did something so that we'd know where they are."

"What do you mean?"

"On their cloak," Mettaton started—catching the children's attention. "I put a tracking device on them."

"You—what—do they know?"

"Are you kidding? If they knew we could never keep track of them," Mettaton replied.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because as it turns out, it wasn't designed to work down here all that well. The tracer I made was designed to be used in the Underground with our networking system—kind of like tracking a cell phone."

"Oh…oh no…how do we track them down here, then?"

"Well, I can get something to act as a remote receiver, but the range will be beyond adequate, meaning I'll need your help. I'm still working on my little surprise, so I can't do this myself, but…"

He handed Napstablook an odd little box. The ghost frowned. "This is the receiver? …I'm sorry, it looks…clunky…"

"It's what I could manage on short notice."

"How long do you think this will take…?"

"In a city this big—and with me not knowing how close you actually have to be? Who knows…it's just better than nothing."

"Then I'll get straight to work…" With that, the ghost flew out, working with the only lead they had.

Chara and Alma pressed themselves against the window, watching the ghost sail away. The brighter ghost glared. "Humans," they muttered. "They really haven't changed."

Alma looked over in concern. "Chara…that's not true. There's nice humans."

"Who cares?" Chara grumbled. "Monsters will suffer so long as there are humans." They turned, quivering. "Dammit Asriel—why couldn't you have just went along with things…"

Alma drifted back. "Chara…are they going to find Frisk?"

"One way or another," Chara replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if Frisk dies, we all reset," the bright one stated. "Then we get Frisk back and can avoid having them captured in the first place."

"Then, no matter how this goes, we'll find them?"

Chara shrugged. "We're with humans who have red magic—they might be able to prevent resets…besides, you heard them—"

"You heard them by poking your head in behind the television," Alma mumbled.

"They said they wouldn't kill Frisk," Chara replied. "So there may not be a reset in the near future…"

"So how will they find them?"

"I dunno…but…" Chara looked back out at the city. "I want to help." They turned. "Do you want to help?"

"I…I want to…but I can't…" Alma mumbled, dimming as they did so.

"What's that talk for?"

"Look at me!" Alma exclaimed. "I can barely pick up anything—and you know what happened to me…I…I can't…if I can't fend for myself…how can I fend for others?"

"I don't think we're on the same page…"

Chara moved forward, grabbing Alma's shoulders as they met each other's gaze.

The brighter ghost grinned. "We can't do anything on our own…but we're human souls, Alma. Surrounded by monsters."

"Wait…Chara…?"

"If the time comes, and they need power…why not give it to them?" Chara asked.

"That sounds like a bad idea…"

"It's not."

"But wasn't the reason you…"

"Asriel is a Pacifist…and I'll settle with not killing if I can at least make them regret what they did. There's a government after all—and there is a death penalty. Regardless—what do you say, Alma? Interested in the idea of fusing if it comes up?"


	88. One Good Opening

Frisk groaned softly as they opened their eyes…they blacked out. They gave a little whine, finding themselves somewhere new. How long has it been now? Frisk knew they were lying on a bed—as something soft was beneath them. It seemed this was going to be their room for the time being…

The child tried to sit up—only to find that ropes still bound their hands and feet. Frisk's eyes narrowed as they tried to sense the other souls within. They were there…but the tiara was mockingly still on their head…they had to fix that.

They squirmed, trying to sit up, and after a few failed tries, managed to do so. With that, they scooted to the edge of the bed, and slipped off. There was a soft thud as they gave a pained grunt. They scooted themselves against the side of it, pressing their head against the bed, before lowering it. The edge of the furniture caught the tiara, and slowly, it was forced up.

It took a few tries, but eventually, the tiara was loose atop their head. Instantly, Frisk furiously shook it, grateful that the tiara wasn't the closed circle type, or they'd have to fight with their horns as well.

With another shake, it finally slipped free, and clattered to the floor—only for a headache to follow a moment later. The child bit their lip as the souls surged forward, making shouts and exclamations, along with demands of whether they were okay or not. Frisk shut their eyes, waiting for them to calm down.

Finally, they settled enough to understand the current situation. Undyne growled. "Lay down on your front, I should be able to fix this." Frisk did as they were instructed while Undyne summoned a spear. "Spread your hands apart as much as you can…" The spear lowered slowly, its tip finally meeting the rope.

Carefully, she cut through it; with Frisk giving a little gasp as it finally gave way. The spear vanished as Frisk slowly sat up with a sigh of relief now that their arms weren't being held uncomfortably behind their back.

Frisk looked down at their hands, wiggling their fingers, before stroking the fabric of Papyrus's scarf. This was scary—but the scarf and hoodie made them feel safe—as if some of their friends were truly right there.

They got to work, swiftly ridding themselves of the other rope. They winced, the rope having left a slight mark on them. They shakily stood, a hand going to their head as they surveyed the room. It was small, and Frisk had nothing to work with, as, aside from the bed, it was empty.

There was a large heavy door that they crept over to, slowly trying the handle…but it was locked. The child frowned. They should have figured…they turned, and spotted a small window with some bars in the way.

They hurried over, jumping up, and grabbing the bars. With a little grunt, they managed to pull themselves up to peer out. It didn't tell them much as there was another wall before them. They looked down, spotting an alley. Frisk bit their lip, and then dropped to the floor as their arms started to tire, yelping a little as they landed on their rump.

They moved back over to the bed, picking up their tiara. This was always something that allowed them peace of mind…they bit their lip, clenching a fist as the others stirred in anger. It had been used against them—to imprison them—to limit them—and to hurt them.

 _'We need to escape,'_ Toriel managed.

 _'I th—think we can all ag—agree on that,'_ Alphys stammered.

 _'We need a plan,'_ Asgore replied. ' _These humans were prepared to deal with us. They probably won't let escape be simple._ '

 _'We don't need a plan!'_ Undyne shouted. _'Just grab a shortcut and call it done!'_

 _'Undyne…'_ Sans murmured. _'If there was a shortcut here, do you think I would have let you guys continue debating…?'_

Papyrus hummed worriedly. _'Are you saying there isn't one in your sights?'_

 _'Oh, there is a shortcut,'_ Sans assured. ' _We just need that door open…'_

 _'Then let's blast it open!'_ Undyne exclaimed, a volley of spears forming—before the others drew her back with loud shouts.

 _'Undyne!'_ Papyrus exclaimed. _'I know you're upset about losing to them—but you need to forget about that and calm down. Our priority is escaping—if you must—you can beat them up later when we are back with our friends!'_

Alphys jumped up. _'H—he's right! We need subtlety r—right now!'_

 _'Basically,'_ Sans stated idly. ' _Less spears and more quiet.'_

Undyne growled her annoyance. _'Why is busting down the door a bad idea—okay, granted maybe we shouldn't pick a fight. But if Frisk pauses time, then we bust the door—regardless if there's anyone out there, they'll be frozen, or the explosion will catch them off guard long enough for us to hop through!'_

There was a pause, and Alphys perked up. ' _Actually…that's not a bad idea…let's give it a go!_ '

Frisk nodded, and went to summon their time halting abilities…but they started to feel sick, and soon, they crumped to the floor, covering their mouth as they resisting losing what was left of their dinner.

The monsters rose up worriedly, murmuring their concerns to them. ' _My child?_ ' Toriel asked in concern.

"Feel sick…" Frisk managed. "Can't…"

Alphys made a sound of worry. ' _They might have known and done something to stop Frisk from using their magic…I…I don't think we can do it this way. Not right now anyways.'_

Asgore gave a huff. ' _We'll have to wait for another opening…'_

' _I rather smash their heads in for what they did—picking on our punk—and…'_ There was an angry sound. _Sneaking up from behind!'_

Asgore gently restrained her. ' _We know,'_ he rumbled. ' _You've made that abundantly clear.'_

 _'There will be a time and place for a fight,'_ Toriel assured. ' _For now, we just need to get Frisk back to the others.'_

 _'In that case,'_ Papyrus started. ' _What_ _ **is**_ _our plan? Seeing as busting down the door is a bad idea.'_

Frisk frowned, questioning why it was all that bad if the shortcut was right there.

Sans was the one to give an answer. _'We can't tell if there is anyone just outside the door. What if we bust the door and then get snatched? They'd learn you removed the tiara and got loose—and we don't know what that entails…Kid, we still don't know why they did this—but it doesn't sound like a simple ransom…I have a bad feeling about this.'_

' _Th—there does seem to be more going on than what we're s—seeing.'_ Alphys stammered.

' _And if this was just an act against monsters,'_ Toriel continued. ' _We would have already gone to a reset.'_

Frisk bit their lip, and revealed more of what they learned while the others had been put under. The monsters stiffened, and Sans gritted his teeth. _'Heh, or maybe that's why we're still alive,'_ he muttered. _'Can't see how they don't know.'_

 _'But what do they even want with Frisk!?'_ Papyrus exclaimed. _'If they needed something, they could have just asked! I'm sure Frisk would have helped them!'_

Sans grinned darkly. _'I don't know what they want either, but…Pap, if they can't be bothered to even attempt asking…'_ He turned, his eye sockets empty. _'Then I guess that just means that whatever they would have wanted…even our little Frisk would have swiftly told them no.'_

Frisk gulped, not liking that at all—though they still didn't know what these humans wanted. Before they had been put in that room—there had been tests. It was almost like being at a doctor's as they were examined and scanned in numerous ways. Frisk had hated it, feeling more and more uncomfortable as it went along.

Whatever they wanted, it had something to do with their current state…somehow, they were the key to whatever these humans wanted, and they hated that fact. Toriel turned their attention to the window. _'We could escape that way if we removed the bars…'_

 _'Except I can't see any shortcuts from here,'_ Sans replied. ' _Nor can we tell if there are any outside guards.'_

 _'Plus,'_ Asgore added. ' _Due to this alley, we don't know where we are—which way would be better for us to go?'_

Alphys dipped her head. _'If we had a clear view, we could have done it that way…'_

Frisk checked their inventory, biting their lip. Not only was their cell phone gone—but their main inventory was taken as well. _'Ngggahhh! We don't even have anything to work with!'_ Undyne exclaimed. _'What do they even want!?_ ' Without fully realizing it, the fusion started to pace, throwing their arms up in exasperation.

 _'Calm down!'_ The fusion went rigid, and then visibly relaxed as Papyrus came forth, the right eye glowing brightly. _'I'm sure we can figure this all out if we take it just one thing at a time,'_ Papyrus assured. _'Now if it were me…we just need to get into the entry way, correct?'_

 _'Right,'_ Sans confirmed. _'Get into the entry way and I can get us out of here. Simple as that._

 _'Then all we have to do is dart past them,'_ Papyrus replied. _'After all, they still think Frisk is tied up and without magic. If things get bad, we can use our magic to fight back this time! They would also think that it won't harm us to get outside the room. They'll think we have to escape the building like a normal person!'_

The tall skeleton chuckled. ' _After all, they don't expect our little human to have my brother's most excellent laziness tactic.'_

 _'Aside from being able to sleep standing up?'_ Sans joked.

 _'Sans!'_ Papyrus gave an irritated huff. _'The point is that if we can buy ourselves a few moments, we can easily get out of here!'_

 _'Yeah…just…how do we buy said time?'_ Sans questioned.

Papyrus paused, and then a knowing smile came to him. _'We create a decoy…'_ With that, the fusion slipped their cloak off and then the tiara, placing them in the back corner, while they hid under the bed. All they had to do was wait; and once they heard someone approaching, they could have it look like they were hiding in the corner.

Mettaton could always make another cloak, and while they'd hate to part with their tiara—they needed to be free. Frisk yawned, feeling abnormally tired, and they drifted off, with the other monsters staying alert, ready to wake the child once they heard something. The hours seemed to slowly creep by, ear fins twitching in anticipation.

Finally, there came a sound that caught their attention. Footsteps. Undyne frowned. The sound echoed, making it hard to distinguish. They roused the child, and then waiting in silence, holding their breath as well as dimming their eyes. The chance was coming…

They used their magic to raise the cloak. It wasn't fool proof—but they just needed a long enough delay to allow them to get into the doorway. That was all they needed.

The door opened and they covered their mouth as their pitch black eyes intently watched the shoes that came into their vision. The owner paused, and their heart hammered. That person had to move, or they weren't going to be able to escape! Relief flooded through the fusion as they began to move.

The child began to tense up, almost like an animal ready to spring forth upon some unsuspecting prey…The human was finally at the front of the bed—their back to the entrance. It was clear…

Frisk shot forth for the exit, fingers reaching desperately for the door. The child ran smack dab into another human's legs, and they squealed in alarm as they were grabbed by the hood and yanked up. They gagged, grabbing at the hoodie's collar as they kicked their feet. Crimson eyes looked upon them, and they shied away from his familiar face.

"I think not," the red eyed chided, snapping his fingers. "I know your clever tricks. You're not moving a step forward you sneaky little brat."

The other souls surged forward. It was all or nothing! The fusion gave a cry as they summoned spears—desperate to get him to let go! They were so close; they just needed to go a little further! They let loose a set of spears—only for them to instantly turn gray, and for the man to side step.

"Ah—ah—ah, you forget, little child. While you yourself are of red magic—your little friends are not. Their magic stays in the realm of my effect—the moment you release them, I can do whatever I please. Such as this…"

All but one spear continued its course, smashing into the floor. The fusion gasped, eyes glowing in a panic as they were moved by the human, and he let the last one loose. Frisk shrieked as the spear lodged itself into their back, a portion of their health vanishing as the spear dispersed.

Their blue eye flared, but they were dropped roughly, a foot landing on their chest to keep them pinned. Frisk cried, fighting back, clawing at his leg, but they weren't doing anything to him. "Don't even dare—I know what happens when _you_ start to rise up by now. I'm no fool." Sans stiffened.

"If you summon your skeletal weapon." The human lowered himself, his crimson eyes boring into them. "I'll do what I did with your spears. You can't touch me, but I can always get you, that, I promise." The human folded his arms. "The problem here is that you actually managed to get yourself free…I underestimated the child's abilities to get loose."

Frisk couldn't help the snarl. "Don't insult them," was the reply.

"Pushing buttons, aren't I? Though one of you is always easier to rile than the others."

The fusion bared their fangs, while the left eye flooded with more magic.

 _ **"I don't need the blasters,"**_ Sans replied with a dark edge. The human gasped as he was suddenly flung through the air, smashing into the wall from their blue magic. The fusion leapt to their feet, lunging for the door again—only to feel another source of blue magic grab them, and send them flying across the room. They hit the wall, their head smacking harshly against it before they fell to the floor.

Their vision swam harshly before them as they tried to get up again, their health having been depleted further, but it was like a heavy weight had been put on top of them as the other human used their blue magic to keep Frisk put while the other picked himself up.

"You think you're so clever, the lot of you…it's pathetic, honestly."

There was another growl of protest—not that it added up to anything while they were pinned.

"What do you want to do, Sir?" the blue-eyed asked.

"Take the bloody cloak out of here—we'll figure things out."

"What about the child though? They're loose."

"Give me that damn gem," the red-eyed growled. "I came here specially to make sure it wouldn't come off because I knew it could happen—we just didn't quite have the material ready. Hard to get measurements when the brat couldn't set it down long enough to get a look at it."

The blue eyed grabbed the tiara with their magic—using it to pry the gem off, letting the useless metal clatter to the floor.

"Anything else, Sir?"

"Just prepare the bloody machines," he ordered "We don't have much time with the monsters already closing in—now get that cloak out of here!" he barked.

As the other human scurried out, the red-eyed took the gem, while Frisk struggled to pick themselves up, their body remaining battered. Feebly, they tried to move, but the red-eyed was quick to put them back into their place as he took out a piece of metal, latching the gem onto that instead.

Still, without much left to lose, the fusion kept trying to escape, before they were grabbed roughly. "Child, I don't think you understand. Until this is back on you, you're not going anywhere. Your little friends are the gateway we need—and they're going to sit idly by until we need them!"

Undyne went full throttle. "Fine!" the fusion snapped. "Put it back on—we'll get back out, and when we do, you'll regret messing with our punk!"

The eyes glowed harshly, one with anger, and one with fear.

The familiar face smirked down at them, and held up the gem that was now attached to a different metal work. It looked more like a— With sheer strength, he wrestled the child with one hand to stop them from struggling too much. They squirmed in his grip, clawing at his wrist angrily.

"Oh, I don't think they'll be removing this one so easily," the man purred.

The right eye turned black, white the blue one blazed wildly. "You'll regret this!" the fusion snarled. "You might think you're in control, but it won't stay that way!"

"And who's going to stop me?" the man asked. "Your monster friends? A snap of my fingers, and they're frozen in time. I don't think you grasp the situation, little Fusion. No one can get past me, so no one is coming to the rescue."

"We don't need a rescue," was the reply.

"Oh? What do you need then?"

"One. Good. Opening."

The man chuckled.

"I'm afraid your one good opening has already been used. You're not escaping this. Better say your goodbyes."

He reached for the child's throat with the gem, and Frisk heard the souls all rise with angry shouts, all trying to do something to counter him—it snapped shut around their neck like a collar…and the souls fell silent. For the first time in years—Frisk felt utterly alone.


	89. Enjoy this Solitude

Alone…the human had left the room, some time ago, but…the word seemed foreign. For years now, 'alone' was simply a word that no longer existed with the child. They always had the others—felt the others, but now…despite that Frisk could still sense them…it was horrible. Frisk clawed at the collar that held the gem. It was too tight to move it, so they struggled to even reach the gem that was placed on the back of their neck.

The collar—there was no other applicable term for it—was cold against their bare skin, and had a latch upon the front. However, the moment the gem was technically on them, Frisk lost the others, and locking it became easy when there was only a squirming injured child to deal with.

Their ear fins drooped as they tried in vain to get it to open. While it could be closed at any point, it was much like a padlock, and needed a key to open it. Frisk whimpered, their wound aching—probably still bleeding. In some aspects, Frisk wished they didn't have so much health. If they died…they could be free.

The child half wished they could have just Gaster Blastered themselves when they had the chance—but they knew Sans would have most definitely pulled them back when they tried. They had to go as far as possible. No one has died, it was better to not reset. Frisk let loose a pitiful whine…they were hurt, hungry, and completely alone.

They didn't like this. They had to move—even when they were trapped in the Underground, they didn't stay like that for long, and they always found a way out of their mess. Here…there was no obvious way out, and their time magic was absolutely useless. If it weren't for him…escaping would have been so simple.

Yet, Frisk had to figure out _something_! They couldn't count on a rescue if they were going against someone who can freeze any attempts right in their place! Yet—what could they do!? They were just a child; they couldn't overpower him…not like this. If it was like how the monsters initiated combat, then they had a chance…but humans didn't do that.

Frisk looked to the window. If the gaps were wider, they could have squeezed their way out; at least…

What did they do…?

Frisk didn't want to sit idly by—but they had literally nothing to work with. No objects, no healing, no magic…their best hope was to run for it if they ever got a chance, but the idea of that working was highly unlikely. It was a child against numerous adults that had a stride near equal to Undyne's…and they couldn't get all that far from that fish monster!

They clawed at their head, trying to think. There had to be something! Anything at all! They worked without magic before—surely they could do it again! Frisk suddenly stiffened, realizing a possible issue. If they died right now…would they even be able to reset?

While the gem didn't affect their own magic…after the humans had examined them the first time…their red magic felt sluggish. Oh, certainly, Frisk could use it, but they had to focus quite a bit…they frowned. Was this something akin to being drained? Surely they would have something to nullify magic without fully taking it away…

Regardless, it didn't help Frisk…they had to find a solution to this whole mess—if they just had somewhere to start!"

Footsteps approached, and their dim eyes looked to the door. Nowhere to go…nowhere to hide. They stood, fists closed, trying to calm their nerves. The door opened, and instantly, blue magic came around them. Frisk bit their lip. They couldn't outrun this unless they wore him out—not that it was a viable option.

* * *

They were taken to another room, where bright lights blinded them. "Hold them still," another human instructed. The child was placed down, the blue magic keeping them almost motionless. They could barely twitch their fingers—let alone swing a limb in retaliation.

"How go the readings?" the blue-eyed question.

"Fairly well. The other magics are very strong—except for the Purple Magic. I recommend that we extract that one first."

"Do as you deem fit."

Frisk frowned. Purple magic? They shouldn't have any at all now that Muffet was gone… Though with the way the humans were talking, they were starting to think that though Muffet's soul was gone, there were still remnants of her magic within them.

Another human came close. Frisk wanted to squirm away, but they found themselves firmly restrained. They knelt next to the child, brushing back the hoodie, raising the hem of their shirt slightly as they drew a—

Frisk squeaked in pain as a syringe went into their side, before it finally slid back out. Their dual-colored eyes noticed that it had started empty, but was now filled with what looked like a purple liquid.

The blue-eyed frowned. "What's so special about it? It doesn't look much different than our own purple magic."

"It's hard to tell in the light," the other replied as they moved away. Yet as he sheltered it with his hands, Frisk noticed that the magic actually glowed vividly. "Ours don't shine like this," the human murmured. "Amazing, how similar, and yet, how different their magic is. This is where they can best us."

"Well, thankfully, we can fix that, apparently," the blue-eyed replied.

"Quite so." The other man put the syringe in a case, and grabbed another. "I remind you to be careful with the purple magic. The child has only two small portions of it left," he said as he went to Frisk's other side. "Don't waste it." Frisk hissed in pain, before he pulled back with the second syringe. "This was all that was left."

"Don't worry; it'll be put to good use."

"And now…for the rest of it."

Frisk wanted to step away, while the blue-eyed studied what the other was doing. "You're being rather specific with where the shots take place."

"Didn't you look at the scans?" the other muttered. "The magic sources are kept dormant in certain areas of their body, and aren't just floating around willy-nilly. Thus…" With careful precision, the new syringe went into their tail. They attempted to writhe and thrash, but the blue eyed kept them pinned, applying gravity to keep them still.

"Such as their tail having a good supply of yellow magic."

"…how many shots are we doing?"

"Their magic will replenish," the other replied. "Best to take it all now, let it restore, and do it again. They're basically an endless fountain of it."

"Tch. How sweet."

It seemed endless as they filled syringe after syringe with magic, and when they ran out of yellow magic—it wasn't the end. The base of their ear fins, the soft pads of their feet, and what flesh was at the base of their horns…

Green and red magic were taking, glowing vividly when taken into darker areas of the room. Frisk managed to use their captor's magic to their advantage—even if it was only to keep their wounded feet off the ground.

There were just so many that the child ended up tuning them out in an attempt to cope. When they felt hands grabbing onto their own, they snapped back to attention, gasping as they realized the man was untying the scarf from one of their hands.

"Don't," Frisk protested, but it practically fell on deaf ears as they undid it.

As the tail of the scarf fell off their palm, the human jerked his hands back. "Good gods!"

The other human glanced over, blue eyes widening. "What the hell!?"

Frisk tried to close their hand to hide the gaping hole in their palm. "Well…" the other started, a little lost for words. "Quite the freak of nature…"

"I guess that's what you get when you mix human and monster…"

The man grabbed their hand again, intently studying it. "Interesting…I'm actually curious to how their hand still functions despite all of this."

"Study it some other time; we've still got magic to drain."

"Relax, we're about halfway done," the man assured as he took another syringe. Frisk shut their eyes as it started again, the human using the rim of the holes to inject the syringe—aqua magic soon filling it. Of course, the process took longer with two hands to drain the magic from—Frisk found themselves extra grateful that Muffet was no longer providing their extra arms.

However, even when the Aqua magic had been taken, it wasn't quite the end. "Well, this part is going to be tricky…"

"Why's that?" the blue eyed asked.

"Well, the last of their magic is stored in the most obvious place," the other explained, grabbing Frisk's chin firmly.

There was a pause. "Are you saying you'll…?"

"Precisely."

"I can't make them do that…"

"Shame," the man said, and patted the child's head with a smirk. "I recommend keeping your eyes open."

Frisk gave a small gasp as they realized and started to fidget. "No!" they protested.

"I'm taking it like it or not. Now keep your eyes open, or this will hurt far more than it normally would."

"Stop it!" Frisk shrieked, desperately trying to shake free of the blue magic, even as the other human turned away, not wanting to see the next part.

Frisk cried, protesting in vain, their gaze locked on the syringe as it came closer and closer to their face.

* * *

Frisk curled tight, feeling themselves being carried. It was over…though they were certain they blacked out at the end of it. They couldn't see…in a panic, the child reached up, feeling something wrapped around their head, and covering their eyes. Bandages…? No, it didn't feel right…it was too soft.

They went to undo it, when a hand gently grabbed theirs. "I wouldn't do that."

"Who's there!?" Frisk demanded, too panicked to recognize the voice.

"Just the Blue-Eyed," was the reply. "I'm taking you back to your room."

Frisk tried to fuss, but they felt sluggish, their energy gone simply from the brief struggle they just had. "Don't even try resisting," the human chided. "Even if you weren't drained, you wouldn't get far."

"Why?" Frisk asked as they continued moving. "Why do this?"

"Because we know you host all the monster magic types within you," the man replied. "It's easier to take one person, than several."

"What do you even want their magic for?"

"To study."

"Why?"

"Do I look like a scientist to you, Kid?"

Frisk raised their head, trying to aim their gaze toward him in dead silence.

"…right. Well, ironically enough, I'm not in the science business of this whole fiasco. I just know general gist. Get magic—do stuff with it."

"…you're not all on the same page?"

"Why would we?"

"…you're working as a group. Shouldn't you know what's going on?"

"I owe my life to this place…I kinda don't question what they're doing."

"…you're not making sense."

Frisk heard a door open, and then close, before they were placed down on a bed. "I'm not supposed to be making sense. I shouldn't really be talking to you either."

"But you are…"

He sighed. "Well, I suppose, if I had to guess…"

"What?"

"Look at you. Formally human, you came out to the city looking like a twelve year old. Four years later, and according to the Leader, who liked measuring you…you haven't grown a single inch. Simply put: Monster magic means extending human lives…but what do I know?"

"…more than I do…" Frisk bit their lip, reaching up again. "What's even…? This isn't bandages…"

"No," he agreed. "They had no interest in bandaging you up, so I made do with your scarf—don't worry I didn't tear it or anything."

"…why are you being nicer than the others?"

"Cause it's not in the job description to give you Hell."

"…can you help me?"

"No," he stated. "I'd be dead if it weren't for this group. If I went against them, they'd take what little life I have away."

Frisk folded their arms debating on countering that, but they were afraid of making an enemy out of him—even more so than he already was, so instead, they asked a question. "…am I…" They had held off, because honestly…they were afraid of the answer. "…blind…?" their voice was soft on the last word, and he barely heard it.

"…couldn't tell you," was the reply, and Frisk flinched, grasping at the scarf as their heart pounded. "While they were only after the magic, and those syringes have fine tips…my guess is that if they're designed for magic draining, then no? But I'm not the one you should ask…"

Frisk bit their lip. "…can…can I ask for a favor?" they asked, voice trembling. There was no one else to turn to, and the worst he could do, was say no.

The blue eyed sighed. "What is it?"

"…there had been some monster food in my inventory…if it's still here, can I have it? Please? I haven't eaten anything since I was taken…"

The blue eyed gave a huff. "I'll look for it, how's that?"

"Thank you…"

He shrugged, though Frisk couldn't see—they could only hear him heading for the door.

"…I miss them," Frisk mumbled, hearing him pause. "They've been right there to back me up all this time…it's really nice…it was really nice. Before the accident…M…Toriel baked pies, took me in without a second thought…Sans and Papyrus…Pappy welcomes everyone with open arms…he'd probably like you too."

"Not my place, Kid. I know what you're doing."

"…I don't hear you yelling."

"Not going to change anything."

"Can I ask a question?"

There was a snort. "You just did."

"…May I ask three questions?"

"…clever. What's the third?"

"…how did they save your life? I don't understand…"

There was a little breath. "Be glad that you don't. Look, get some rest; I'll see if I can find you some food. They'll do it again once your magic replenishes—when that is, heck if I know…just…enjoy this solitude while you've got it."

"…you don't like what they're doing."

"I don't like the route they're taking to reach their goal—whatever that may be."

"…why don't you talk to them?"

"You and I have lived entirely different lives," he replied. "They don't work like your…family did. Our origins could be no different either…"

"…will you ever tell me?"

There was a snort. "Guess we'll have to see, won't we, Ambassador?"

"It's Frisk."

"Rather not get attached."

Frisk thought back to their time in the Abyss. "…can I call you Blue?"

"Blue? What kind of name is that?"

Frisk shrugged, and he gave an exasperated sigh.

"If you must…look…get some sleep." With that, he closed the door, and Frisk found themselves alone once again.


	90. Clean Getaway

Napstablook looked down at the machine in irritation. The ghost had been flying around for quite some time now; trying to pick up the signal. Why couldn't they have had a normal locating system? The humans were much more advanced in this aspect…then again, when Alphys made the blueprints, they didn't have to worry about distance so much and so their tracking was connected to their Undernet system.

What Mettaton created to counter this issue was rudimentary, but it was better than floating around with nothing, as, despite their best efforts, they hadn't been able to find a single sign of Frisk, which was odd, because typically, Frisk stood out in in Napstablook's vision: A red soul with multiple others hovering against it, their different colors glowing like a beautiful rainbow.

Napstablook knew they couldn't miss that—so how had they not found Frisk at this point? The ghost didn't need to sleep, they've literally been up searching ever since the incident, but yet, there was still nothing, much to their frustration. What else could be done, if they couldn't handle it this way?

The ghost had been their best hope in locating Frisk, and yet there was nothing—how did a soul cluster like that stay out of sight!? It wasn't like the child could still be moving around! They wished there was more they could do—but until they could locate Frisk, all Napstablook had to offer was their soul vision.

Yes, the monsters, as a group could attack, but Napstablook…they would linger behind. That nightmare…sure they could do it in the alleys, or when they were going solo…but the last thing they needed was having the others finding out about that…to have Mettaton find out about that.

For if they saw, there would be questions, and…Napstablook was not willing to give answers in that regard, for they would hurt, and Napstablook didn't want to drop harsh facts on their cousin.

Besides…the nightmare had to be used carefully. It…was dangerous…it…was nothing that was meant to stay in control. In fact, Napstablook had been lucky that the night ended as it did. At any point, Napstablook could have teetered too far…yes there was still a mess of things, but it could have been much worse.

True, all the humans were left in a bad state—but they weren't _technically_ dead. Napstablook hesitated. They had to wonder if _she_ had guessed that…she was the only one who knew—but even if she did, they knew she might not bring it up. It wasn't easy to bring that conversation up…for numerous reasons.

There was a quiet beeping that caught the ghost's attention as they slowed. "Oh no…it better not be running out of batteries," the ghost moaned. The last thing they needed to do was fly back to Mettaton to recharge. Frisk didn't have time for that.

Yet as the ghost checked on it, they realized that the beeping was rather slow, with at least a second's pause before sounding off again. Wait…it wasn't the battery…Napstablook gasped, realizing they had picked up a signal. Using their blue magic, they held it so they could look at it.

With a bit more tracking, the ghost found themselves in a less used business district with old buildings all strung together. In fact, there was so much stuff that they could not accurately pinpoint the location…but that was okay.

* * *

Cell phones began to ring throughout the city, and Doggo slid to a stop, pulling his dog treat out of his mouth. "Hello?" He paused as he realized it was going to a group call, and one by one, other members began to pick up.

After having to calm Lesser and Greater Dog, Napstablook made their report. "I think I found Frisk—I'm picking up a signal. I'll send you a location on your cell phone. Oh no…I should have done that right away."

"Wouldn't have done me much good," Doggo replied. "Anyways…" He glanced up. "I can see you hovering a ways off. Can you float in the general direction I need to go?" Then he smiled. "Good, I'm heading there now." Before anyone could add anything, he hung up, and began to run, dropping to all fours to increase his speed.

That was the advantage of being a dog monster. They could easily switch from being bipedal, to being on all fours. With a need for speed, it was easier to run like this—plus it felt more natural. Honestly, Doggo couldn't understand running upright, he always felt like he was about to fall.

With the treat back in his jaw, the smoke was wafting off it…but that was fine, Doggo used that for a reason. For while his vision could tell him if he was about to plow into someone, or a moving object—it did little to inform him of buildings, and so…he used the smoke.

After all, he had access to blue magic. So he pushed the smoke away from him. The smoke, constantly moving, would press against solid objects, telling him where they were. He used it now, to find pathways to get to where he could see Napstablook's movement.

He slid around a corner, while humans jumped slightly in surprise. Over time, the city was used to seeing the canines sniffing about, as word of the incident had spread far and fast. With him barreling down the sidewalk, humans were quick to step out of the way, knowing he was on to something.

As he got close to where Napstablook was, he slowed, putting his nose to the ground. He knew the others would get here soon. He felt a chill in the breeze…it had to be later in the day now. The cement didn't burn his front paws as he ran…and he was right. Evening was coming down on the city.

"So the tracker was around this area?" His smoke told him there were a lot of barriers…likely buildings, but there were paths. "Of course," Doggo grumbled. "They could be in any one of these buildings with the vague tracking they've got…" With that, he ventured into the network of pathways in between buildings, wincing at the smells that were hitting him.

Trash, dirt, old stale smells of humans and food, and—ew, he didn't even want to know the source of that one. He heard flies buzzing, and inwardly whined. Great, he'd have to take a flea bath when this was all over. Oh, the very thought made him stop to scratch his ear. It took a while, but finally, he stumbled upon some fresher scents.

There was one he didn't recognize at all, but then…there was another that was familiar. His heart leapt at the realization. That was Frisk's scent! It was faint, but that didn't matter—he had a lead! A soft bark escaped him as he picked up the pace, following it eagerly. Oh, if he could spot the human's movements soon, then they could all go home today!

Though there was something slightly off about the scent…but he pushed it aside.

* * *

Up on a building rooftop, a human picked up a radio. Yellow eyes lit up with excitement. "Ah, a monster came in? Good. What type…?" a woman asked, cradling it on her shoulder as she began to open a large duffle bag. "Dog monster…come on, that doesn't help me. It could be a dragon for all I care, what's the magic type?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Come on, I'm sure the monsters slipped the magic type to the Leader at some point. Don't have me guessing. I may not miss, but it does no good if I guess the type wrong."

"Well, it's not a puppy," the other human replied with some sarcasm. "And if it's not a puppy, then they have Aqua magic. Only a few of their pups have Orange from what we've gathered."

The human pulled out what seemed to be a strange gun of sorts. It was overly sized, requiring two hands to keep it stable. Honestly, it looked like something out of an anime, with seven large chambers for where the 'bullets' would be—if that was what it even carried.

Each chamber could be seen revolving, as if the weapon wasn't quite finished. "Anything else I should know?" she questioned, flicking her blonde ponytail back over her shoulder.

"There are other monsters approaching. So take your experimental shot and get the heck out, understood?"

"Oh don't worry, I'm on a rooftop, I can get pretty far this way," she muttered. "Roofs are close enough to jump. I can make it to the van with your sample. I know this is just a test run after all."

"And do be careful with that," the other stated in exasperation. "It's not stable since we made the weapon before…"

"Yes, yes, you prepared this before you could extract anything out of that freak Ambassador. I do read the list of warnings you tape to the box it was in."

"Rather warn you twice than to have you dead."

"Funny you should say that," she mumbled. "Speaking of which, when's the next shot?"

"When you get back from this mission."

She rolled her eyes. "What is it now? A reward? I need that damn thing you know."

"The higher ups like giving you an incentive to do the job right."

"I've always liked sniping," she muttered.

"Yes, but your subtlety after the shot was…bad as it was nonexistent."

"Don't remind me of that, that was a lifetime ago," she replied in irritation.

"…Funny you should say that," was the cheeky reply.

"…I swear, I'm going to murder you one of these days, ya Blue Eyes."

"Hey, I don't make the rules, Goldie."

"Isn't there a term for this?" she asked as she adjusted the chambers of the weapon, as each one was painted a different color. Eventually, Aqua was at the top. "Making comments about someone when you're in the same boat as them."

"…Either the pot calling the kettle black, or…don't throw stones in glass houses?"

"…I was looking for the second one."

"The second one just means to not pick a fight over something."

"But it was always over that guy's name in that series I read," she muttered. "Like: 'I'd make fun of his name, but you know…throwing stones in glass houses and all that.'"

"Couldn't tell you. Not an expert socializer."

"Well go fix that," she retorted.

"Yeah, sure, I'll just leave the base and go mingle with people. That'll go over well."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Any other special requests I should know about then?"

"Well, they say to wait until he finds it…something about taking him in the moment of surprise?"

"Who do they think I am?" she muttered. "Why would I shoot him at any other moment? He's going to be the most distracted there, it's the perfect opportunity."

"They think you like guns a blazing."

"Just because my exits are a little flashy…I'm not known until I fire."

"They'd prefer if you weren't known at all."

"Well excuse me."

She sighed, adjusting herself on the roof. "Regardless—do you have any good idea of what's going on with this whole thing?"

"Do I look like a higher up? I'm the same level as you—with less privileges."

"Oh, I don't know. Talking to me seems to be a wonderful privilege."

"Modest, Goldie. Modest."

"But really, they're not telling you anything at all? What are we doing this for?"

"Nothing. I know nothing."

"But don't you think it's interesting?" she asked.

"What is?"

"Well, look at what they're doing…how we're even here. That ability…and they used it on us. Now…how much good do you think they're up to?"

There was a snort. "Whatever made you think they were up to any?"

"Well, no, this is just…different than the other missions," she murmured. "Usually I'm out to tranquilize someone. I rarely ever use a bullet because they want the soul…or…just another corpse to borrow." She stuck her tongue out in disgust upon mentioning that part.

"And now?"

"I don't even know what I'm going to shoot at the monster," she muttered.

"…you don't know what the weapon does?"

"Correct."

"But you're still going to fire it?"

"Got any better ideas, Blue Eyes? I need that shot."

"I can't believe this," he groaned.

"Haven't been here long enough then."

He shook his head. "Just get back here safely, all right?"

"Aw, you do care."

"Yeah, I care. If you don't get back, they'll pin it on me."

"How are they going to pin it on you?" she demanded. "You're busy keeping an eye on that kid."

"I talked to you last."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well, thanks for the chat, but you should probably run along. Stay out of trouble."

"How can I stay out of trouble when I'm over my head in it?"

"Get less out of trouble."

"Oh, that helps," was his sarcastic reply.

She snickered in amusement as he hung up, and then huffed. "Shoot him while he's unaware," she repeated in a mock annoyed tone. "Honestly. Just because I make a bad exit…"

She fell silent, and waited. Sure enough, a black and white furred canine came down the path below her spot, sniffing around on the ground. She quietly tracked him. His ears were perked, signaling he was cautious, but her scent was hidden. She didn't enter the buildings from the path he was on, and the other scents down there kept her hidden even more.

Doggo sniffed around, before yanking his head up, retching at the stench. "Why?" he muttered. "Why here?" With a groan he continued, finally coming across a dumpster. At first, he went past it, but that was when the scent trail stopped. He halted, and back tracked to the last spot the paths branched off…only to come back a few minutes later.

"No…they went this way…but…" He frowned, his smoke brushing against the dumpster. He rose upright, sniffing at the top of it… "Wait a minute…" He opened the dumpster lid swiftly, and stuck his head in. "Kid…?" There was a whine. "No kid…wait…" Reaching in as far as he could his paw found some cloth.

As he drew it up, she prepared to fire. Ready…aim…

A phone rang, causing her to nearly pull the trigger. It caught her off guard, whereas Doggo reached into his pocket grabbing it. "'Ello? Oh…Napstablook…yeah, I'm fine. But…we may have a problem. I think I found the cloak with the tracker…but…no signs of Frisk." The canine tilted his head. "Where was it? In a dumpster." Doggo frowned. "Fall back? Y…yeah…I'll bring it with me at least."

The moment he hung up, his ears flicked, hearing the sound of metal. He whipped his head up toward the shooter, seeing their yellow movement. However, in that same instant, she fired. An energy escaped the weapon that was aqua in color. Doggo yelped as it plowed into his chest, and he was sent against the wall of the building, before hitting the ground with a howl of surprise.

He tried to get back up, but the energy kept him down. Every time he did, it was harder and harder to move…harder to see…harder to keep his eyes open. It was like the very essence of his being was just draining away. The woman's golden movements were the last things he faintly saw…before everything truly went black.

The weapon stopped, the energy oddly retreating back into the gun. The woman looked at it curiously, and then turned, putting it back into the duffle bag, and making a clean getaway, not even turning to see what was left in the alleyway. She didn't look to see if there was a pile of dust…or if the canine was still alive.

Nor did she have the time to do so. His howl had drawn the attention of the rest of the pack, and so, she high tailed it, jumping from roof to roof as she made her escape. He was the bait to keep them off her trail…

Her mission was done, after all.


	91. In the Dark

"This way!" Dogamy barked—veering around a corner between the tightly packed buildings as he and the pack tracked Doggo's scent. Their keen ears had picked up his howl a good distance away, and now they were all closing in, claws scraping the ground, and fangs bared. It didn't take long to reach the scene.

The pack halted, for against the dumpster, with the cloak beneath it—was the slumped form of Doggo. The pack gave alarmed barks with Dogamy dropping to his knees. "Doggo!" He looked to the pack with a growl. "Stick close—but look around, they might still be nearby!" The other three nodded and headed further down the alley way, noses to the ground.

Dogamy lifted Doggo slightly by the shoulders, shaking him. "Brother? Come on, wake up. Doggo…Doggo!" At first, the husky didn't even respond, before, with a low moan, he blearily opened his eyes. "Doggo?"

He rested a hand on his head, groaning. "…Dogamy?" he muttered.

"We found you," Dogamy assured. "How are you feeling?"

"Like Greater Dog and our parents plowed into me after I ran a marathon…"

"That's not so bad…"

"And just dragged myself out of battle."

"That's less good."

"You're telling me…" the worn out canine muttered; his ears pinned back as he sat up fully on his own, though he kept his eyes closed with a hand to his head.

"What even happened?"

"I…I was starting to head back after I found…" He adjusted himself and pulled up the cloak. Dogamy frowned, taking it an examining it, finding the tracker where Mettaton said it would be.

"I don't like this," he muttered, but then allowed Doggo to continue.

"I heard something and I looked up to see a yellow human in my vision. They…shot something at me—the movement was wild, but the form of it…reminds me of being the core with the energy dancing about. It…was too fast, and it hit me…I blacked out after that."

"Where were they?"

Doggo pointed vaguely. "Up on the roof across from the dumpster."

"We'll look there later," Dogamy said as he stood, offering a hand to Doggo. "Come; let's get you back to Grillby's and Muffet's."

"Right…" Doggo finally looked up, squinting as he reached forward…his hand completely missing Dogamy's.

The floppy-eared canine frowned, and wiggled his fingers so that Doggo could catch the movement for certain.

Still…Doggo was unable to reach. "Dogamy, what are you doing?" the husky asked, tired, and slightly irritated. "You're not a statue, move a little so I can see you."

Dogamy waved his arm a bit more dramatically…but Doggo did not react. Dogamy gave a worried whine, grabbing his brother's hand. The husky gasped, jumping slightly as his fur stood on end.

"I…we're taking you back. Now," Dogamy stated firmly, before letting loose a howl. It didn't take long for the pack members to come back, with Greater Dog picking up the husky, before they raced back to the other monsters with their blind brother.

* * *

That night, Mettaton hurried up the stairs to the living room. Upon the pack entering and making a big fuss about getting Doggo somewhere to rest, the news finally reached Mettaton that Doggo needed medical help.

He dove for the living room, only to reel back as a loud feedback whine raced into his sensors. The robot clasped his hands over his head, though it did little good while he waited for the sound to at least become tolerable.

It didn't. Mettaton moaned, and trekked forth, deciding to grin and bear it…it was good practice for being an actor anyways. "What seems to be the matter, Darlings?" he called, hoping his more calm approach would ease their worries a little.

Dogamy looked up. "Mettaton…something happened to my brother…he…he can't see…"

Instantly, Mettaton showed concern as he came around the couch, ignoring the feedback as best he could. Doggo was awake, his ears twitching, accurately following the soft thuds of Mettaton's approach on the carpeted floor.

"Doggo?" the robot questioned. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired…" the dog mumbled.

"Does anything hurt?"

"Just my back—but it's just sore from when I fell…"

"Has your vision improved at all?"

"Unless you're standing still again…then no, I still can't detect any motion."

"Right, you have kinetic vision," Mettaton murmured. "I'm going to scan you, are you okay with that?"

"Go ahead…"

Mettaton paused. He seemed…calm—or was he numb from the shock of this? Either way, the robot activated his scanners, looking the canine over.

A moment later, he stiffened. "Doggo—what even happened to you?"

Dogamy was the one that replied. "He said he was hit by something…energy base from how he was describing it. Why…what's wrong?"

"He's drained," Mettaton replied. "I can barely detect any magic on him—"

"What!?" Dogamy demanded.

"He has enough to survive," Mettaton assured. "But we need to take him back to the kingdom. If…whatever that was hits him again…he won't make it."

"But…if he's drained…"

"Right," the robot replied. "Doggo needs his magic in order for his kinetic vision to work."

"Will…will the magic come back?"

"Normally, I'd say yes," he replied. "However…due to the unknown origin of the draining—in fact, I think what he was hit by was with the sole purpose of draining—I'm afraid I can't give a sure answer. What I do know is that he's safest back at the kingdom…"

"Right," Dogamy replied. "I'll call Michael and see if he can't at least get us to the mountain. Greater can carry him the rest of the way."

"That may be for the best," Mettaton replied. "Just…if they were able to drain his magic…"

"Then they could drain the rest of the pack, at the very least," Dogamy surmised.

* * *

Doggo felt the sway of the boat as it came to a stop, and heard Dogamy as he was helped to his feet. "Step carefully," his brother warned. Doggo moved forward warily; his foot finally finding the ground. After that, it was easier to get off the boat.

"Thank you," Mettaton called as he got off as well.

"Almost home," Dogamy assured.

"I figured with the snow under my feet," Doggo murmured, his body starting to go limp.

"Doggo—"

Mettaton slipped Doggo's arm up as he came to support him. "I got him," he assured Dogamy. With that, the canine was escorted home, with Mettaton soon parting ways. The robot headed into the village, hearing the children laughing, and as he followed the sound, he was glad to see he found the suspected source.

It didn't matter if it was almost Summer; the monsters were always a little…loose, with the holiday, so to speak. Sitting by the tree was Nicolas, with the Santa outfit, and the monster children clustered around, talking to him excitedly. They had taken in the story of a human Santa rather well, and it seemed everyone enjoyed it.

"Greetings," Mettaton called, smiling tiredly as the children suddenly clustered around him. He chuckled, ruffling a few heads. "Well, hello little darlings, glad to see some of my fans remember me." After talking to them briefly, he gently shooed them off, saying he had important business to talk to 'Santa' about.

Once the children reluctantly left, he turned his attention to the human and sat down beside him. "Have you heard about what's been going on?" he asked.

The human's smile faded. "About the little Ambassador? Yes…a damn shame. Any news?"

"No, but…something happened today, so I want to ask you a few questions…"

"Not sure how much help I can be, but I'll certainly try."

"That's all I ask," Mettaton assured. He raised his hand, bringing up a holographic image over his palm. "Is this image familiar?" he asked as he showed the image for Reaper's Harvest.

The gray-eye stiffened, a hand going to his face as he looked away. "…how could I bloody forget that? They…"

"Drained you?"

The gray-eye whipped his head up. "How did you…?"

"A monster was drained of magic today while we were following a lead on Frisk," Mettaton stated quietly. "You were drained before, so…I had wondered. Do you know anything about this group? Anything at all?"

"My memories of it all are fuzzy," the man replied. "Even…the memories before are hard to keep organized due to them…but, they do things. With magic, and souls…they…experiment." He bit his lip. "If they've got Frisk…"

"I can assure you they're not dead anyways," Mettaton replied. "But how long do they have?"

"So long as they provide them with something, they're safe," Nicolas assured.

"Is there anything…?"

He shook his head. "No…I'm afraid I don't remember much from there, but…if anything else comes to mind, I promise, you'll be the first to know."

* * *

"So…" Michael asked as he trailed after Dogamy. "How's Doggo?"

"Mettaton says he should recover his magic in due time," the canine assured, sniffing the area where the attack had taken place. They were actually up on the roofs, with Dogamy trailing after the scent of the human, leaping to another roof when need be. Thankfully, the gaps were close enough for Michael to keep up.

"However," the canine continued. "He's unable to see until then, and he's beyond exhausted. He slept from when we brought him in, and when I left, he was still sleeping. And since I haven't gotten a call…"

"Still sleeping?"

"Yes…"

"And now a human needs to come in case this happens again?" Michael questioned.

"Mettaton has a theory about the draining that he plans to test as soon as he has something to safely test with…until then, he thinks that if there's another attack, at least one of us can fend for ourselves."

"But wasn't part of the reason this happened was because Doggo was alone?" Michael asked.

"He was apart from the pack," Dogamy agreed. "However…" There was a frown. "There's something else that has been bothering me."

"What's that?"

"The cloak," Dogamy replied. "Napstablook said they searched the area top to bottom. There wasn't even a sign of the kid, or anyone for that matter. It was like it was just discarded here by someone."

"Maybe they thought Frisk would try to use it as a signal from a window or something? I mean, they're keeping them somewhere."

"Even so, they have the scarf and hoodie as well," Dogamy pointed out. "They should have removed those as well…the problem here was that…it was the only thing with a tracker…and there was an ambush waiting for whomever found it…do you get where I'm going with this?"

Michael blinked in surprise. "Are you saying…?"

"I think this was set up purposely."

"But how!?"

"The tracker is hidden, but that doesn't make it undetectable," Dogamy replied. "And yet…I feel like that isn't the right answer either. Regardless, these people knew we would find the cloak, and they ambushed my brother…and somehow, drained his magic. They want something, but we don't know what, and that leaves us in the dark and in danger…"

Michael nodded. "If we could just get a decent lead," he added as the canine started to descend a fire escape. They were back on a main road now, and that made the canine feel a little safer.

"Well, we have this scent trail," Dogamy assured as they reached the sidewalk. "However…" A minute later, he folded his arms. "Peachy."

"What is it…?"

"The scent trail dies on the street," Dogamy growled. "They took a car—I can't track them like this…"

Michael groaned. "If one thing could be simple…"

Dogamy sighed, and looked around, up and down the street, before pausing in alarm. "Michael—what's that?" he asked, pointing. The human glanced across the busy road, frowning, before he realized what Dogamy was looking at.

Sitting at a street corner was a German Shepard wearing a harness, a human clinging tight to it as it waited for the traffic to stop. Its ears were twitching as it paid attention to the road, waiting for it to be safe.

"That's a seeing eye dog," Michael explained.

"A what now?"

"Well, when we have a blind human who need a constant companion, but live alone, they can find a seeing eye dog for help. They're trained to follow commands, learn the human's routine—in fact, they're taught to be aware of their owner's height. So, just because they can go under something, doesn't mean the human can."

Michael grinned. "Though, one thing I like is that they know when to not listen to commands as well."

Dogamy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Like here. They can't see the traffic, so they'd tell the dog to go forward—but the dog knows better so they stay put until the command can go through. Usually, it's difficult to teach canines that. Either they learn the command, or they…don't listen to you…" Michael shrugged. "Sorry, it's awkward talking about them with you, cause…"

"They're not dog monsters," Dogamy replied. "I understand they're more along the lines of Cupcake, than they are of my pack. I…find it weird, but…not offended like you might think I am. They are still intelligent in their own right, I can tell." He smiled slightly. "And loyal to the end for their companions, as far as I can see."

Dogamy began moving. "Where can one get such a companion?" he asked.

"I'm sure if I asked, I'd get answers. Why…for?"

"For Doggo," Dogamy confirmed. "Even if he wasn't blinded now, he has a hard time with inanimate objects."

"True," Michael murmured. "Hmm…I wonder if Jeremiah could help him get to the place if your brother's back up and about before we find Frisk."

"What about his leg…?"

"So long as he isn't about to walk a marathon, he can manage well for himself, honestly…"

"Well…the sooner Doggo can navigate again, the better I'll feel."

"Then mention the idea to him when we get back," Michael replied. "Though…if we lost the scent…"

"Then we're doing that now. Not much else we can do…" With that, the two started heading back. "Michael…I'm worried about this. If they drained Doggo…I don't think it's safe for any monster to be here, in all honesty."

"I feel that's the point," Michael muttered.

"Is that what Reaper's Harvest does?"

"Who knows. I know they do stuff with souls, but…this could easily be a bonus in whatever else they're up to…"

Dogamy gave a growl. "I just hope we find them soon. I wouldn't mind sinking my fangs into a few."


	92. Nowhere in Sight

"Clarabelle, are you sure you don't remember which one it is?" Michael asked. He, Clarabelle, and Dogamy were in the Capital Building's basement, in a room of what seemed to only consist of file cabinets.

"There are a lot of files down here," she stated, opening up one of them, and moving envelopes full of papers. "No…ugh, damn them." She placed a hand on her head, sighing slowly. "Thinking is still a hassle."

"You could stay home—you know—like you're supposed to?"

"While Frisk is gone?" She put a hand on her hip as she turned. "I think not."

"I admire how you're handling this," he assured. "I just wish you would rest…"

"He has a point," Dogamy replied, opening up a third. "You can't help if you completely wear yourself out."

"I'm being careful," she assured.

"She says," Michael grumbled.

Dogamy, despite everything, managed to chuckle. "This is why she and Dogaressa would get along so well," he mumbled softly to the human.

"How do you make them do not crazy things?" Michael asked.

A knowing smile crept across Dogamy's face. "Are you two married?"

"Wha—no!"

"Then you don't want to know."

While Michael covered his face, Dogamy opened another file cabinet. "If it had a scent to it, I could track it down."

"I'm afraid we don't code things by scent," Clarabelle replied.

"A shame," the dog mused.

The two continued their search within the archives, until finally; Michael gave a shout of exclamation. "Hey! I found the right one!"

The other two clustered around as he opened up the cabinet. "See? First envelope has their symbol thing."

"Let me look at that," Clarabelle murmured. "Most of this stuff is just case files for you and your force to use on individual cases. We want the overall information. Let's see…case file, case file, case file…"

Michael looked down. "It's hard to follow up on them—we barely know anything about them."

"True," Clarabelle replied. "We only catch the wakes of destruction afterwards—but something to work with is better than nothing."

As she fingered through the envelopes, she frowned as she reached the end. "…these are all case files—I can't find the envelope we're after."

Dogamy frowned. "That doesn't make sense…"

"Someone moved it," Clarabelle muttered.

"We should tell William," Michael suggested. "Then he can figure out how we want to approach it—and maybe there's a copy of it somewhere."

"I suppose we have no choice," she managed, a confused and concerned expression coming over her.

* * *

The three moved upstairs to William's office, opening the door, surprised to find Grillby already there, alongside Muffet. Mettaton was there as well, standing there quietly while William talked to the young couple.

"Leader," Clarabelle called, interrupting the conversation.

"Clarabelle? What are you doing up?"

"Working," was her brisk reply. "That's not the issue in the moment, Sir."

"Could've fooled me," Michael muttered.

"So what is the issue, Clarabelle? Aside from all the obvious?"

"The file on Reaper's Harvest is missing from the cabinet, Sir. All that's there are the case files…" She paused as a small smile came onto William's face. "Leader?"

"You were looking for that? Why didn't you say so?" He picked up a golden envelope with their sigil upon it.

"Wait," Michael cut in as he approached. "You had it this whole time?"

"I needed to review everything about this group," he defended. "With what little we have, I need that all in my head for now."

Michael gave an exasperated groan.

Muffet looked up. "In that case, Sir William…"

"Yes?" he questioned.

"Would it be possible to borrow that file?" Muffet asked. "The more everyone knows, the better off we'll be."

William nodded. "I'm done with it. What's yours is mine for the time being."

"Thank you," the elemental replied, taking it as William offered it out. "We'll be certain to look at it when we return."

"I don't doubt that," the red-eyed stated, sighing softly. "I'm sorry we haven't been able to make much headway in this…we've got forces everywhere."

"But you're spreading yourself thin," Muffet stated. "You don't have enough people to comb the city."

"I'd offer our Guard as well," Dogamy stated. "Except we don't add much, and…"

Mettaton finally spoke. "And somehow, someone—regardless of where they were from—was able to render Doggo down to barely any magic." Dogamy gave a little growl, clenching his fists as he recalled the event. "Whether it was Reaper's Harvest or not isn't the issue—the problem was that it happened, and we have no information about it."

"The fact that a monster was drained does bring me alarm, and much concern," William replied. "I do recommend sticking in groups until this is settled. Doggo was ambushed when he was alone—I'm sure if they're going to do it again, they would want similar circumstances."

Muffet looked to husband. "Grillby, we should let the rest of the kingdom know…it would be best if they stayed within Ebott until this was settled."

"I hate to agree," he replied. "But you bring up good points. Doggo was nearly killed—we can't let innocent bystanders get caught in that mess."

Mettaton gave a hum of worry, wondering if he could get his cousin to stay back while this was going on, knowing Napstablook was working hard by themselves to locate Frisk—though they were having little luck.

Muffet sighed, glancing to the folder. "I still don't really understand what Reaper's Harvest is…"

"They're people who collect souls," William replied. "We know that much."

"Collect souls?" Grillby asked. "Whatever for?"

"Heck if we know," Clarabelle responded.

"How did you ever find out about them?" Muffet questioned.

"Well," Clarabelle murmured. "We learned about their existence very indirectly…we…there were numerous times when someone passed away in…strange circumstances, and despite how swiftly government officials would rush to the body…the soul would be gone."

Michael piped up. "As you know, our souls can linger—and with deaths like they had, we expected them to linger around in confusion…but there was nothing. By the time we got there, the souls would be nowhere in sight. And while it didn't happen all together, over the months, there would be other strange deaths, and various people with varying magic would have missing souls."

"But what good does it do to have human souls?" Muffet asked. "For another human, I mean?"

"Souls house great power," Clarabelle replied. "We may not be as strong as you magic wise, but all our souls hold determination. There are people who do research on it—but there is obviously a limit to what we would do to a soul…we can guess they go farther."

"Don't forget the potential of black marketing," Michael replied. "Remember when we busted that one group? They had canisters full of souls. Said they bought them…"

Clarabelle's eyes narrowed. "And those squealing pigs said they got them from Reaper's Harvest."

"So that's how you found out about them," Muffet murmured.

William nodded. "They do well in hiding themselves. Finding traces of them has always been difficult."

"I still don't get why they suddenly came flying into the open though," Michael muttered. "They were always so secretive."

Clarabelle frowned. "I never got a good look at them," she murmured. "They were hidden in the shadows before I was knocked out. The only reason we even knew it was them…"

Grillby's flames snapped and crackled with anger. "Was because Fiona survived their attack. If she was dead like they thought she was—we would have nothing."

Muffet nodded. "Fiona did say the emblem was faint…she probably only saw it because of her light…"

"Still…" Michael grumbled. "A whole group?"

William shrugged. "They wanted to make sure they could overpower the Ambassador, and from the sound of things, it turned out it was a simple matter, from what Fiona described."

"But Frisk isn't dead," Muffet stated. "So what are they doing to them if they're not using the soul for the black market?"

"Likely doing research," Michael supplied. "Kid's got red magic after all. And they're as rare as ever now…"

"Plus, with their unique circumstances…" William started.

"Speaking of unique circumstances," Mettaton cut in.

"Yes?" William questioned.

"Would it be at all possible to see what you use to drain the magic of humans?" Mettaton asked quietly.

The red eye seemed surprised. "Why in heavens would you want to see that?"

"What will it hurt?" Clarabelle suddenly cut in. "It's not like we're going to put someone in the chair."

"No…I suppose not," he replied slowly. "If you really want to see this…"

"I want to run something by, that's all," Mettaton assured.

"Right…well…" The red-eyed stood. "Come along then."

* * *

It was up in one of the spires of the capital building that they kept the magic draining equipment. William, Clarabelle, and Michael all pulled out keys, each unlocking a deadbolt. Grillby tilted his head. "You each hold the keys separately?"

"It's in case we're attacked," William replied. "If one has all the keys, it's easier to gather them, and use the machine without officials. Hence, we split them up to make it more difficult to open."

Grillby nodded as they opened it to reveal a sheer white chamber with a lone chair within, something akin to what one might define as the 'electric chair', with the straps on the arm rests and the like. Coming from the ceiling were seven odd mechanical limbs that looked like strange weapons.

"This…" William muttered. "Is where we do the draining."

"Seven limbs," Mettaton observed. "I'm assuming one for each magic type."

"Yes…"

Mettaton nodded, looking around at the tiny room. He didn't like it—but he could tell the humans were uncomfortable with it as well, with Clarabelle and Michael staying behind William who didn't look keen on even stepping foot inside—which was reasonable. Just a few feet away was something that could take their magic away forever.

The robot glanced down at the thing, and then to the humans. "Does someone need to be there for it to be activated?"

William frowned. "What do you mean?"

Mettaton drew something out of his inventory: a vial with aqua liquid. "I want to see if your machine can drain this."

Clarabelle paused in surprise. "Is that…monster…?"

"It is. The same type Doggo has, even," the robot clarified. "Can I see if your machine can drain it?"

William nodded, while Michael took it. "I'll put it in place…ish…" Gulping, he stepped into the white room, running back out a minute later. "Okay, that's done, can we test it now?"

"We may," William replied, opening a control panel that had been tucked away into the wall. He, Clarabelle, and Michael leaned over it, all three working at the controls to set it up properly, while Mettaton peered into the small window that opened up to the room beyond.

There was a hum of energy and the mechanical arms began to move, though only one lowered enough to be able to accurately aim at the lone magic.

A blast of energy hit the magic vial, and continued for several long moments, before it halted. The magic remained. Mettaton was quiet. "Could you try the others?" And so they did, but in the end, the monster magic resisted it all.

William looked over as they shut everything down. "It seems your magic is different than ours," he said as Mettaton went in, retrieving it. "We can't drain it at all."

"You can't," Mettaton replied. "But they could, meaning…" He frowned, and then, without another word, he walked out.

Grillby turned. "Mettaton?"

"I'll talk to you later, running some ideas through my programs," the robot responded, vanishing out of sight.

The elemental's light dimmed, and he turned, dipping his head. "Thank you for your time, William…we…we should get going."

"Good luck," William replied. "We're doing all that we can."

"And we appreciate it," the monster assured. "…I just wished we had results sooner."

"I'm sure we'll get answers soon."

"The sooner the better.".

"Indeed," the red-eyed agreed. "The sooner we find the little Ambassador, the better in my book."

Michael nodded. "I'll try to get more secure searches going on."

"You can't run them thin, Michael," Clarabelle chided.

He pointed accusingly at her. "Says the woman who refuses to go home and rest! You can't talk to me about this, Missy!"

"Odd, I'm talking now…"

"Clarabelle, I swear, I will drag you home if I must."

"Oh, by all means," William started. "Take her home. In fact—that's an order. Move her by any means."

"Wha—leader!?"

"With pleasure!" Clarabelle gasped as Michael picked her up.

"Oh—put me down!"

"I will…"

"Thank you."

"…when we get to your house."

She slapped his shoulder. "You gorilla, put me down this instant!"

"Sorry, under orders."

"Leader!"

"Sorry, can't help you."

"You're all horrible!"

With that, the room was locked up, and everyone went their separate ways. William sighed as he returned to his office, watching the monsters leave from his window. He tapped his foot a few times, and then pulled out his cell phone.

"…there you are," William stated quietly. "It's official. They're on the move. I trust you and the others to…take care of the rest. Understood?"


	93. Hammer of Justice

Grillby sighed as he sat on the couch with Muffet. The spider monster leaned against his side, peering at the papers he was looking at. The elemental shook his head. "I know they said they didn't have a lot of information…"

"But that is a little sad," the spider agreed. "Even with this—we're basically being retold what we already heard."

His light dimmed as he tapped a foot worriedly. "This isn't helping at all. There has to be something else that we can work with…"

"Glad you asked."

The two looked up to see Michael while he gave a halfhearted glare to Clarabelle. "Anyways, look what I got~"

"What?" Muffet asked as he came around.

"Case files! Might lead to something. How's the reading going?" he asked as Clarabelle came up behind them, peering down at the papers the monsters were rifling through.

"Could be better," Grillby replied as Muffet took the other folders, organizing them in her hands as she decided to take two right away, making use of her multiple eyes. Though Grillby had to resist a sound of amusement at the funny face she made while doing that.

Grillby went back to what he was tending to, flipping a page, while Clarabelle frowned. "Grillby?" she asked. "May I see that please?"

The elemental looked up in confusion, but held it up to her all the same.

Clarabelle took it, reading over the whole thing. "Something's not right…" she muttered.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked with concern.

She flipped through the pages, a frown showing on her features. "This…there's pages missing."

"What!?" Michael asked in surprise.

"There were more pages than this," Clarabelle stated as she knelt beside the couch so that she could show the elemental something, while Michael moved around, not wanting to be left out of this.

"Look," she stated, pointing at the paper. "This was stapled back together. It's hard to tell, but…"

Grillby moved his hand over where she was pointing, squinting, and sure enough; he noticed the old staple marks. "You're right…"

"That doesn't make sense, though," Michael replied. "Who would even remove some of the pages?"

"They were fine the last I saw," Clarabelle murmured. "The only other one who I knew that had it was Leader."

"Someone else got into the Archives then," Michael stated. He stood. "Come on; let's get back to the Capital. Maybe the pages are still in the Archives somewhere."

"Right…" she mumbled, standing…and then wobbling.

"On second thought…" He scooped her up. "You're going home, I'm going through the archives to look for those missing pages, and I'll let William know about this. He's not going to be happy about that."

"Leader will be rather irritated with that," Clarabelle murmured as he headed out. "The real concern is…how did anyone get in to get rid of them?"

Grillby and Muffet watched them go, and then turned concerned gazes to one another. Something was rubbing them the wrong way.

* * *

For the next hour, they went through the papers—going through case files, trying to find something that might somehow stand out to them.

"Darlings?"

They turned, looking to see Mettaton just outside the room. The robot smiled slightly, though it didn't truly reach his eyes. "You two have been up here all evening…I took the liberty of making dinner—if that's all right with you two." He raised a tray he had been carrying to show it.

They blinked in surprise, and then, Muffet smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Mettaton, it's highly appreciated."

"Surprisingly, he knows how to cook," came the old turtle's voice as he came up the stairs, with Dogamy trailing after him.

"How goes the hunt?" the canine asked.

"Could be better," the elemental responded.

"Oh no…" Napstablook murmured, poking their head through the ceiling. "Did I come back at a bad time?"

"Blooky!" the robot exclaimed happily. "It's so good to see you—how is everything?"

"Oh…it could be better…still no luck."

"I don't understand why, though," Dogamy replied. "You could always pick them up before…"

"I know…" the ghost mumbled. "I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault," the robot assured as he stepped forward, before he jerked, clenching his teeth.

"Mettaton?" Napstablook called in concern. "What's wrong?"

The robot said nothing, putting the tray of food down. Then, he started searching the room. "It's that sound again," he growled. "The television is off, where is it coming from?" The others watched him as he scoured the room, moving things as he tried to track it.

After a few more minutes of searching, the robot stopped behind the couch. The couple stood, uncertain of what was going on as he started to feel between the cushions, a dangerous look in his eyes.

However, it vanished as his hand came around something. Being mindful of it all, he slowly drew back, looking at something small in his hand.

"What—" Grillby started to ask, but Mettaton put a finger to his lips as he studied it, and slowly a smirk came to him as he put it back where he found it. "My bad," he called. "Turned out it was the music player. Honestly, I need to upgrade my sensors. They're becoming rather faulty."

He headed out of the room. "By the way, Dogamy, I think your pups are about to squabble, we should all head down there while there's still a building to save."

Muffet caught on and grabbed her husband's hand. "Come on, Dear. I'd like to still have a business when this is all said and done."

Once downstairs, Dogamy slammed his hands down on the counter. "What the hell was that?" he snarled.

"Shh," Mettaton warned, looking around…but the place was closed. They were the only ones, aside from some of the pack. "It…was a listening device of some sort."

"A listening…?" Gerson started.

"Like in those spy movies?" Muffet questioned.

"Exactly…in short, we've been bugged."

"By who?" Grillby suddenly asked.

"Well darling, I doubt it was us monsters," the robot replied. "Who else has been able to get up to that room?"

"Aside from them?" Gerson questioned. "Just the three hu…oh."

"Oh no…" Napstablook moaned. "You can't possibly mean…"

"It's definitely a possibility," the robot confirmed. "Regardless of who put it there though…" Mettaton smirked. "We can use it to our advantage."

Grillby tilted his head. "What are you trying to get at?"

"As far as they know, we are unaware of their bug," Mettaton replied. "I think this is how that group is keeping ahead of us. After all, isn't it peculiar that we only found Frisk's cloak? The only thing with a tracking device? And think about it—there was someone on standby to ambush Doggo. I just…"

Mettaton looked up. "I feel like they're somehow one step ahead of us, and this is probably why. So, how about we give them a little treat? They want to hurt us monsters? Then let's give them a grand opening."

Gerson smirked. "What kind of play are you wanting to direct?"

The robot rubbed his hands together happily. "Oh, I'm getting a marvelous performance in my head. Say, what if…" The robot gave a chuckle. "What if the worried 'elder' insists on searching for his Neck Warmer this evening? Say, cutting through the park…and what if our elder is a little sick this evening? But he insists on going alone?"

"I'm not dead yet, thank you," Gerson replied. "But I'm in."

"Good," the robot purred.

"That's your act perhaps," Grillby started. "So what's the actual plan?"

"From the looks of things, there was only one human that attacked Doggo…"

"Then let me go," Napstablook stated quietly. "I can hide in the trees or in the ground. If Gerson is outnumbered I…I can get him out of trouble and straight back to you…"

"But isn't this dangerous?" Muffet asked.

"Can't be more dangerous than it was earlier," Dogamy reasoned. "Before, we didn't realize people knew our every move. This time, we can expect an attack."

"I'm old," Gerson started. "If they get me, it's not a big hit to the kingdom in the long run. The important thing is to figure out where Frisk is—and this is our best bet. Let them come at me, and then capture one of them."

"But how will you get them to talk?" Grillby asked.

"Um…" Napstablook mumbled. "If he's not knocked unconscious, I…could try something if he refuses to talk…"

"Then let's start this little play," Mettaton purred. "One way or another, let's move forward with this mess."

* * *

It was late in the night when Gerson entered the park. He walked slowly, shakily, coughing occasionally. He was alone as the moon shone down, being his only light source. He glanced to the playground, his gaze softening. He could see Frisk playing there, but in truth, it was empty…and honestly, haunting in appearance.

He started to go into the patch of woods in the back of the park. He was secluding himself, knowing that he wasn't truly alone. Somewhere in the trees, or beneath his feet, was the little ghost, waiting to pop up when needed.

Though, the turtle was getting on in years…and so his hearing wasn't as good as it used to be. So he couldn't really hear approaching footsteps, or the click of the gun. He did hear the ghost's cry of warning, but the old turtle wasn't as fast as he used to be.

The turtle cried out as something pierced the center of his shell, pain racing through him. Like any other turtle, the shell wasn't just some armor—it was an organ—it had nerves—and it too, could bleed.

Gerson gasped with pain, whirling with his weapon, the head of his hammer taking the next bullet. Though the hammer was strong, it was old, and a scorching mark was left upon it. Gerson couldn't do much against the far range, and went to move. As he dove into the trees for cover, the bullets' trajectories began to change oddly, not going near him at all.

The turtle heaved heavily, his shell aching with the bullet lodged into it. He gave a low moan, and gripped his hammer tight. He had to keep moving—Frisk needed him to keep moving! He heard cursing—the bullets had to be out. Now or never!

With a cry, the turtle came back with surprising speed, the adrenaline pumping through him. The human was caught off guard by the sudden burst as he swung, hitting their hand, sending the weapon sailing into the air and them onto the ground.

As he got close, he realized he was dealing with a yellow-eyed man—practically a boy in Gerson's eyes. The turtle growled, holding his hammer against the human's chest. "I suggest," he snarled. "You start talking, or you're going to have a large dent in that body of yours."

"Like I'm gonna talk to you," the human spat.

"I wouldn't test an old man's patience," Gerson growled lowly.

"Or what? You going to kill me?" he challenged.

"It would be self-defense," the turtle assured. "I've got a bullet in my shell to prove it."

"Then go ahead," the human insisted, egging him on. "Kill me."

"Sadly, you're worth more to me alive, than dead." He let the weight of the hammer sink down. "Now start talking. Where is the rest of your group hiding?"

The human kept an eerie smile on his face. "Heck if I know."

"That's a lie if I ever heard one," the turtle growled lowly.

"And what are you going to do about that, Hammer of Justice?"

The turtle twitched. "Oh, there's plenty I can do about it, but I suggest…" He leaned close, talking lowly with a dangerous edge to his words. "That you tell the truth, boy, or you'll live to regret it."

"Oh, gonna hammer the truth out of me? Might be living up to your title." Gerson glared down as he smirked. "Hammer of Justice, wasn't it?"

"I'd watch what you say and how you say it," the turtle warned.

"Oh, I know what I'm saying."

"Then yield and tell me where they are," Gerson replied, each one being forced out through gritted teeth. He was getting angry.

"I think not." He was eerily calm as he kept pushing at the monster's buttons. "I'm not talking. Maybe you should finish me off, _Hammer of Justice._ Before I find a way to hurt someone else as well. That bullet hurts, doesn't it? _Hammer of Justice?_ "

"Do you have a death wish?" the turtle demanded.

"What do you think?"

The turtle raised his weapon. "You're making it damn tempting," he growled lowly.

"Then do it. **Hammer of Justice.** "

The hammer came wailing down into the ground beside his head, before the turtle grabbed the human by the shirt collar, yanking him up so that they were nearly eye to eye as he glared down at him. "You call me that one more time, and I'll make you see stars until next Tuesday," the turtle threatened.

"What's wrong? Don't like the name?" the human asked mockingly.

The turtle slackened his hold, only to jerk him forward again, a dangerous light in his eyes. "I take pride in my title," he growled. "But that is all it is, just a title. I am more than my title, I am more than my weapon, and I am more than my magic."

He tossed the human down. "The name is Gerson," he spat. "Don't you dare forget it."

As much as he hated the human, he couldn't hurt him. He had information—and Gerson knew that if he killed him—somehow—someway, media would find out and then monsters would be an even worse situation. Gerson wasn't going to give the human that satisfaction, but at the same time—he swiped at the human's feet as he tried to get back up.

"This is your last chance," Gerson warned. "Tell me—or someone else will pry that information out by force if you don't spit it out yourself."

The human glared at him in annoyance—thus giving his answer.

Gerson huffed and then stepped back. "Well, I tried." A chill came through the air, despite that it was a warm summer night. Something rose out of the ground behind the human, looming over him. He turned just in time to see Napstablook fly at his face.

The human cried out, falling down to the ground, tossing and jerking wildly, before the movements abruptly halted, and the human sat up, looking to the turtle with glowing blue eyes. "I see where…but what do we do now?"

"Restrain him and leave him conked out in the park," Gerson muttered. "Where can we take him currently? Can't take him to the capital for obvious reasons—can't take him back to the others because of that bug—or just other humans seeing…and you can't phase him all the way back to the kingdom."

"…I could walk…"

"That'd take hours. We don't have that," Gerson argued as he pulled up his phone. "Anyways, got all the info we need?"

"He doesn't really know a lot, but…yes…" The ghost slipped out, and the human slumped to the ground. "I know where they're kept…and why I haven't been able to detect them."


	94. Every Advantage

Gerson groaned, digging his fingers into wood. After returning back to Grillby's and Muffet's, Mettaton had instantly realized he had been injured. He was now sitting on the counter, with Mettaton inspecting the wound. "You're lucky your shell is so durable!" the robot exclaimed, scolding him.

"I'm lucky, the calculator says," the turtle muttered bitterly—the pain hurt, and right now, he had to sit still while the robot looked him over. He was out of patience and tolerance, though thankfully, Mettaton was letting it slide.

"We should really get you back to the lab," Mettaton muttered.

"In case you've forgotten," the turtle started. "We don't have time to go up there _and_ get a move on to that place. They might move if that human doesn't get back."

"You have a bullet in your shell!" Mettaton exclaimed. "I can't have you walking around like this!"

"Then remove the bullet," Gerson managed.

"But—"

"You've downloaded everything from the lab. You have to know something about what to do."

There was a pause. "Yes…"

"Then get it out," Gerson muttered. "My shell can start healing on its own—we can worry about it when we get Frisk back. For now—I just need to be able to move without it."

Mettaton moaned, obviously reluctant to have to do this. "Why must you be so stubborn? You shouldn't be going out regardless if I remove it or not!"

"Because we're going against humans!" Gerson snapped. "I'm the one with the best knowledge to fight them. We'll need everything we've got if we truly want to save them."

"All right, all right!" Mettaton exclaimed. "Just…" He gave another over the top moan. "This is going to hurt…"

"It's already hurting," Gerson grumbled. "Remove it, tend to it, and it won't hurt as much," he instructed the robot.

"I'm not a doctor!"

"Got any better ideas?" Gerson asked. "We can't take me, or wait for someone from the kingdom. And I'm oh so sure we could find a trustworthy doctor in an hour that won't be asking questions about why I have a _bullet_ in my shell."

"I'm going to hate today," Mettaton muttered as he scanned the wound. He just had to remove the bullet and then cover the wound. Of course, it was easier said than done…reluctantly, he got started.

Gerson gritted his teeth, fingers digging into the wood. Thankfully, the others were all upstairs—though not in the living room. They had allowed the ghost children in there to watch television just so that the bug would be catching something; otherwise, they were staying clear of that room.

Half an hour later, Gerson flinched as a stinging sensation came to his wound. "Dammit," he growled.

"Oh, it's not when I remove the bullet that got you cursing; it's when I made sure you can't get infections from it."

"Just patch me up, Calculator."

"Sure thing, Fossil."

* * *

Muffet made a sound of worry as they filed back down into the restaurant. "Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," the old turtle assured. "Shells can heal with time—it's practically just a scratch."

"Practically just a scratch, he says," the robot muttered. "You've got a _hole_ in your shell."

"It didn't go all the way through," Gerson argued. "I'll be fine."

Mettaton made a sound of exasperation, but didn't argue any further.

"Well then," Grillby muttered softly. "What did we learn?"

"I know where they're being kept," Napstablook assured. "Funnily enough—it's a business district building—it even looks active—at least from the front."

"But Blooky," Mettaton protested. "You've flown all over the city and you hadn't been able to find Frisk—are we sure they're in there?"

"Yes," the ghost assured. "They were able to hide Frisk from my sight—"

"But how?" Mettaton demanded.

"They're hidden in a crowd," Napstablook stated simply.

"What!?" the others demanded.

"I…I saw it…" Napstablook mumbled. "When I was looking for answers, I saw Frisk…but…there were these small chambers in the walls that bordered their room…and in those chambers, I saw jars with souls within them."

Mettaton paused. "A fake crowd."

"Exactly…" The ghost faded. "They…they knew about my hindrance…oh no…I don't advertise my ability…I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault," Gerson assured. "We've had people listening in on us, that's the issue."

"Then," Muffet murmured. "If we know the place, what's our plan of attack? They are still humans."

"Well," Grillby stated. "All we need to do, is allow for Napstablook to retrieve Frisk, correct? If the rest of us spread diversions through the rest of the building…"

Mettaton smiled. "They'll be too busy with us to worry about Blooky."

Gerson snickered. "Then let's get ready. The night is still young—and Neck Warmer needs to get out of there as soon as possible."

"Right," Mettaton replied. "I need half an hour to check on a little surprise I have for those humans…"

Dogamy dipped his head. "If we move along as a pack, then I shall come along as well."

"But what if you're drained?" Mettaton asked.

"What's the difference?" Dogamy countered. "We're all risking our lives as it is. What would it mean if we're drained or killed?"

"Must you put it that way?" Muffet questioned.

"The point is that you can't shut me out," Dogamy protested. "We're all risking the same things. Besides, I've got my sense of smell. If they've moved Frisk, I can help track them down."

"He does have a point," Grillby pointed out.

Mettaton sighed. "That was what I was afraid of…"

Muffet shook her head. "We do need everyone we have…"

Grillby nodded. "Then we should all get prepared."

Gerson dipped his head. "I've got some medicine to help me."

Napstablook rose. "I'll help Mettaton with his thing…"

"Wait," Dogamy called as he rose as well. "Napstablook…were you able to learn anything else?"

"Not much," the ghost admitted. "He wasn't that far into the group. He doesn't know who bugged our room…or who is leading the whole thing…"

"Just a grunt, hm?" Gerson murmured. "I thought he was easy to take down for a human."

Dogamy sighed. "We're still at square one on that issue…"

"At least we have something," Grillby stated. "I'm heading upstairs to check on Fiona…"

"And I'll get everyone some food," Muffet replied. "It…sounds like it's going to be a long night. Besides, Dogamy's pack will be returning soon. I'm sure they're hungry by now."

With that, the group split up, leaving Muffet alone downstairs. She sighed, and set to work, her eyes drooping with concern. "We're just a small group of monsters," she murmured. "Gerson's honestly the only one who's ever truly fought humans…" Certainly, there had been skirmishes, but those…and this—these humans knew what they were doing.

After all, they were somehow still restraining Frisk—a child who could teleport. This wouldn't be like the other humans they had stumbled across. These people knew what they were doing, and that honestly scared her.

The child may not be dead, but—Muffet knew that the child could survive many things. So long as they clung to one last piece of health…they could be in any state at all. Muffet paced as she cooked, her imagination getting the best of her. To what extent had Frisk been abused? They were obviously doing something to the child—this wasn't a ransom kidnapping…they wouldn't take Frisk for nothing.

After all, they simply could have killed Frisk—then things would have reset and Frisk would have warned them of the attack…unless…

Her eyes widened. Unless they knew what would happen to Frisk if they died…but that didn't make sense, no human knew about that except for—…her hands fell to her sides as she stared blankly forward.

Except for him.

But…he wouldn't—no, thinking about it…there was a lot of evidence piling up to say that he did it.

She bit at her fingernails. This wasn't good, if he…then, what were they going to do? It just…he had been so kind for the past four years—or was it all a sham to prepare for this day, pretending to help them with an innocent smile?

Muffet turned. Regardless of whose side he was on—currently, she had little faith in humans in general. For now, she was going to trust her instincts, and her instincts were screaming at all the oddities surrounding him ever since the kidnapping. From his odd disappearances, to the face that he had the information last…

The red-eye was no longer in her favor.

Either way it went, she was going…but she hesitated, biting her lip. There was something she should probably say…but perhaps it was best to save for later when this was all smoothed out.

* * *

Grillby knocked on his niece's door. "Fiona? Dear? Are you awake?"

There was a quiet reply, and so he opened the door, finding the elemental sitting on the edge of her bed. Over time, she was able to reclaim enough flames to return to her natural state. "Hey…" she mumbled.

His light softened as he approached, and sat down next to her, drawing an arm around her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better…did you…hear anything?"

"We've gotten news," he assured. "In fact…we're going out tonight."

She looked up. "Why you? Can't you tell…"

He raised a finger to her lips, and shook his head. "As it stands. We can't risk that."

"What do you…" She drifted off, her flames dimming.

He nodded. "Things are murky. Until Frisk is back, we can't place our full on trust in anyone."

"…but we've known them for so long…"

Grillby sighed. "I know…I wish I wasn't suspicious, honestly."

"What are you going to do…?"

"Do my best to break Frisk free…"

"…will you…?"

"I'll try to avoid it," Grillby muttered. "But after what they did to you…" A few white flames danced along his features. "I find it difficult to show them mercy."

"…can you promise to be careful?"

"Of course, Dear," he murmured. "I'm not about to dash in a blazing—not like that anyways. I'm just helping distract them so that Napstablook can grab them."

"You have to be careful, Uncle Grillby," she insisted. "All they need to do is…and it hurts."

Grillby drew her close, resting his head against hers. "I know…I know what to expect, and I'll certainly be watching out for that. I need to come back, after all."

"You better come back," she muttered. "How will we manage two places if you're gone?"

"Oh?" he asked in mock offense. "That's your concern? Running the business. You've been around your Aunt for far too long." Fiona gasped as he ruffled her head flames teasingly. "You've wounded me deeply, Dear, I may not make it back at all."

He gave a grunt as she shoved at him. "Uncle!" she hissed, her flames crackling, which in turn, caused him to chuckle.

"Yes~?"

She threw her hands up, a white frown of exasperation showing in her features. "You!"

"What about me?"

"Oh, you're impossible!"

"And yet, here I am."

"I hate you."

"Love you too, Fiona."

There was a tapping on the door. "Grillby, Fiona?"

"And there's your Aunt," Grillby chuckled. He rose, and headed to the door. "Yes, Dear?"

"Dinner's ready…"

"Ah, Fiona, care to join us?"

Fiona nodded, and the three headed out, halting as the human ghosts came forward. "Uncle Grillby, Aunt Muffet," Chara started.

"What is it, Dearies?" Muffet asked in concern.

"Be…before you go…can we…can we talk, please? After dinner?"

Muffet nodded. "Wait in your room, Dearies. We'll meet you there."

* * *

Sure enough, half an hour later, after going over the general plans, the two went up to the ghosts' room. Chara rose up, facing them, while Alma stayed seated on a bed. The two didn't need sleep in the same sense as others, but it was an option, at the very least.

"You're going out there," Chara stated firmly.

"We are," Grillby confirmed, though he knew the child hadn't really been asking.

"They're humans," Chara muttered. "They're going to win." The child was blunt, but they had a point. "They have every advantage. They're more physical, they're stronger…and you're attacking them in their own home. What advantage do you have?"

Grillby looked up. "We don't intend for head on combat."

"But you can't avoid it."

Muffet glanced to her husband. "Though, Napstablook…"

"We're not sure what he did," Grillby muttered.

"They're dangerous," Chara stated, though it was clear that they were agitated. "So let us help."

"Help!?" Muffet exclaimed. "You're children—and they would kill for souls like yours!"

"Then we hide," Chara stated. "They can't see souls like Uncle Napstablook. Which means…" Chara's form dimmed lowly.

"If you absorb our souls, they won't know we're even there at all."

The two monsters stared. "You…" Muffet blinked rapidly, all five eyes locking onto Chara. "You…want us to…absorb your souls?"

Chara nodded. "You can let us go when you're done—just…look. The only reason it didn't work out for me was because I was fused with someone who didn't want to take those powers. You need them, trust me. If you don't take this—" They started trembling. "I'm not going to lose anyone else!" they cried.

Muffet and Grillby looked at each other uncertainly, with Grillby drawing Chara close to comfort them. "Alma, Dearie?" Muffet called. "What about you?"

Alma looked up quietly. "I…I let myself be pushed around…and it hurt others. I…I want to make a choice…" They rose up. "I want to help make things right…if it means letting one of you borrow me…then I'll do it. Your Frisk needs to come back…I need to fix that…"

"Please?" Chara begged.

Muffet looked up, chewing her lip nervously. "They do raise good points…"

"What do you think?" Grillby asked.

"…we do have the disadvantage."

"If you think it won't work," Chara muttered. "We can always unfuse…"

"It…wouldn't hurt to try," Grillby supposed.

"…good…"

Chara plowed into the elemental, causing him to stumble back, falling roughly. Muffet gasped, whirling, but Alma came before her, and reached out. Muffet's eyes darted to her husband, who was already getting on hands and knees. He wasn't in any obvious pain…but things were changing.

The child was ready…and so…Muffet reached out, accepting the child back into her own form. Alma was stronger now…and so, they actually held an effect on Muffet, causing the spider to stumble against the wall so that she wouldn't greet the floor as her body began to alter from the human's influence.


	95. A Final Figure

Downstairs, the monsters were moving about in a slight panic, all of them trying to prepare for the upcoming conflict. Most were wrapping up. Gerson had taken medicine to numb the pain—not that he couldn't feel it still—and Mettaton seemed to have finished with whatever he wanted to work on.

Dogamy had spoken with the remainder of his pack, who were tired from another long day trekking through the city, as the only lead they had was a dead end, and they started all over from scratch.

They protested to Dogamy going, but as he pointed out, they were far too exhausted now to be able to contribute and not put themselves at risk. Dogaressa put up a much louder protest, disliking the idea of being left behind—again, but eventually, Dogamy managed to get her to stand down.

"Should take some food for the Neck Warmer," Gerson murmured a while later, stashing some into a container that vanished into his shell. Dogamy paced, muttering to himself while Napstablook was looking over Mettaton another time.

The canines jumped in alarm as the door opened. "Hey," Michael called, and then stopped in his tracks with Clarabelle and William right behind him, and Jeremiah hobbling in after them. The fours humans looked around at the monster who had halted in mid action to stare at the group.

William glanced around. "Where's the fire?" Then his eyes seemed to light up. "Did you find something?"

The other monsters looked to each other, trying to figure out what to do. While the humans' arrival wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility, they didn't expect them to come now. Dogamy was hesitant. There was only one bug, right? Mettaton would have detected any others with the way he reacted with the first one…so…they weren't on to them, right?

He had to say something though—he couldn't just stand there like an idiot. He had to—

"Dogamy," his wife called. "I think there's a commotion upstairs. You should make sure everything's all right up there."

He perked his ears, hearing nothing—but then realized that his wife was giving him an escape, and to come back with an answer. Instantly, he was flying up the stairs. What to do…what to do…right, ask Grillby and Muffet!

He went to their door and knocked. At first, there was nothing, until the elemental suddenly spoke. "Yes?" he called.

Dogamy frowned. "Is…everything all right?"

"We're fine," Grillby managed. "What's wrong?"

"…those four came," Dogamy muttered against the door. "And they know we're up to something as we were all rushing around when they waltzed in…what do we do?"

The elemental's flames were crackling loudly on the other side of the door. "…tell them we found a location that we're going to check—but don't state where. Say only Napstablook knows. If they insist on coming, let them. We have the slight advantage of knowing that _someone_ bugged us."

"But, I worry," Dogamy replied. "While Mettaton is likely right that one—if not all four are against us…don't you think it's also possible another human snuck it at some point to place the bug before the incident? When you two are busy, anyone could sneak up here…and Alma and Chara hide if they hear anyone…"

"While it is possible…we have to keep our guard up."

"So, stall them?"

"Go on ahead at whatever pace it goes," Grillby managed. "We'll catch up."

"…right…" Dogamy looked to the door in concern, and then reluctantly turned, heading back down the stairs where the humans had entered, taking a place at one of the tables.

"Everything all right?" William asked.

"Still in one piece," Dogamy assured.

"So what is going on?" Michael questioned. "Where's the fire—not counting Grillby."

"We have a potential lead, that's all. We're going to look into it."

"Where at?" William asked. "I could get Michael's men over there."

"We're not sure of the exact address, I'm afraid. Napstablook just saw it from overhead," he stated calmly.

"How likely do you think the lead is?" William asked.

Dogamy shrugged. "Any lead is worth checking now."

"Well, let us help," Michael offered. "If Frisk is in there, you need all the help you can get."

Jeremiah nodded. "Humans are naturally stronger, right? You're at a disadvantage."

"William could easily pause time and make it a clean sweep, honestly," Michael added.

Clarabelle dipped her head. "Bringing Leader would provide quite the advantage."

Dogamy nodded slowly. "That is true…well; you'll have to settle with just following us, as we're not quite sure of which way we're going except for Napstablook."

"We can manage with that," William replied. "Once we're there, we can get backup."

Michael nodded. "I'm an expert at combat, so if we do run into trouble that William can't freeze, well…"

Clarabelle looked up. "And I'm faring much better now, I can make constructs again to shield us."

Jeremiah's eyes started to brighten. "I can provide assistance as well, I—"

"No," William stated flatly, catching Jeremiah off guard.

"But, Sir—"

The red eyed turned, his crimson orbs narrowed. "I'm not letting you hobble into a fray."

"I don't plan to," Jeremiah protested. "If you let me get to a high place, I can fight from there. I may have a damaged leg, but I can still shoot."

"No, means no, Jeremiah," William stated firmly. "Even if we got you up high—what would you do if you got snuck up on? You're a sharp shooter, Jeremiah, I don't doubt that, but if you get caught in a fight that involves moving, you're going to die."

"I'm just supposed to sit here?" Jeremiah asked a hand closing into a fist out of withheld anger.

"The monsters are being hunted down, Jeremiah. If someone does attack here, I know you can shoot them from a distance," William stated. "But I'm not letting you go into an area with people like Reaper's Harvest."

Jeremiah looked down, but didn't continue arguing.

William looked up. "How much longer do you need?"

"We were just about to leave," Dogamy replied, opting to avoid giving them time to respond to the situation. "Unless you have more important matters to attend to," he continued—though his voice was managing to stay neutral.

"Hardly," the red-eyed replied as he, Michael, and Clarabelle stood.

"Then let's leave," Dogamy stated.

"What of the others?"

"The pack is tired," the canine replied.

"And the young couple?" Clarabelle asked.

"They said they'd catch up."

She nodded as the monsters started to file out. Michael went to leave, but froze as Jeremiah grabbed his wrist. Michael glanced down with concern as Jeremiah stared intently forward, the fingers on his other hand twitching.

The younger man breathed out, and then nodded. "I know what to do," he assured.

With that, the yellow-eyed slowly released him, allowing Michael to race off to catch up with the group. Then, with a little groan, he stood, hobbling out.

Upstairs, a pale hand reached down, grabbing a pair of glasses off the floor. Dark red-purple—possibly a maroon fabric covered the arm all the way up to part of the hand, stopping short of the fingers. A gem—or perhaps just a fancy piece of fabric went further at the center knuckle.

"The left lens broke, dear," Muffet murmured as she handed it out. Covering the limb were white threads that would drape down to the next arm.

A white flamed hand carefully took them from her. "Hrrm…" There was movement as he put the glasses back on. "Actually…regardless if I have it on or not, our eyes seem to adjust to it."

"I say keep it as is, Grillby. It's actually intimidating."

An orange flamed smile appeared—reminding one of a jack-o-lantern. "Well, if you think so, then who am I to say no?"

There was a giggle and then she extended a hand. It seemed all six were covered in the same fabrics and treads. Actually, the threads would drape from the top to bottom arm on each side, almost like the webbing for an animal, so to speak. "Are you alright? It seemed…rough."

He reached out, carefully touching her hand, and when he didn't burn her, he accepted it. "I'm fine," he assured. "Chara just surprised me," he said as he stood, blinking in surprise when he found that the top of Muffet's head was much closer to him. "…you've seem to have grown a head or two."

"It is a little strange…" she murmured, five red eyes looking up to him. "This whole thing…"

"Will you be all right?"

She smiled, her fangs gleaming as always. "Alma is a familiar touch—the change is new, but we had it a little easier, I think."

Grillby chuckled. "Perhaps if we have to do it again, mine will be smoother."

"Let's hope this is a onetime thing, Dear."

"Agreed."

The door opened, and with surprising swiftness, they were on the move.

* * *

Napstablook stopped in an alley way, the back of a large building before them—a chain fence in the way. "I know it says its open as a factory…but Frisk is here," Napstablook confirmed.

Clarabelle frowned. "An open business as a front. Clever."

Dogamy had lingered at the back of the group, and then paused, an ear rising as he caught Michael's voice. He looked back to the opposite end of the alleyway to see the young man on a cell phone, obviously keeping quiet, but…while it didn't make sense to the canine, he knew Michael was listen off an address to someone.

 _What are you doing?_

"What are you doing?" William demanded as Clarabelle snatched his phone away.

"You can't call back up," she stated simply.

"And why not?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"If this is Reaper's Harvest, then they're smarter than that," she stated. "They can likely pick up on cell phone conversations. They've always been one step ahead of us before; let's keep the element of surprise, Leader."

William looked ready to protest, and then paused, thinking it over. "I suppose you have a point," he said as Michael caught up with the group. "Then, what's the general plan?"

"We wait for Grillby and Muffet," Dogamy stated. "Then we make a further move. Napstablook, can you detect them?"

Napstablook nodded. "I see where they're being kept." The ghost looked about, making sure that Frisk's soul wasn't showing up elsewhere in the building. "If we do this right, I can get them in and out…"

Mettaton smirked. "Point out where, and we'll cause a fuss literally anywhere else."

William tilted his head. "The plan is just to bait them?"

"Our main concern is getting Frisk out," Dogamy stated. "Besides, we don't get a good rep if we sink our fangs into humans, regardless of who they are."

Michael rubbed the back of his head. "That is still an issue…"

"Well," Napstablook mumbled. "They're closer to us, but in a corner room."

Dogamy looked at the building. "Which one? This isn't exactly four sided."

"Oh, I'm sorry…that corner that's poking out on the side, next to that other building."

The dog squinted. "Can barely see that one from where we're standing."

"That should be all right for us though," Mettaton pointed out. "We're going everywhere else, meaning we can just bust in on the closest side."

"True..."

"Wish we had a floor lay out," Gerson muttered. "Not that one can ever hope to know the enemy's territory."

"Oh no, I'm sorry…I should have tried to draw one up," Napstablook mumbled.

"Too late to worry about it now," the turtle replied. "You just focus on getting Frisk back—we'll keep them distracted."

Clarabelle smiled. "Though with Napstablook's abilities, you probably won't need to be in there long at all."

"Well…" the ghost mumbled, fading out of sight.

"Everything all right?" came the elemental's voice.

Dogamy sighed in relief. "Oh, you're here, thank—Grillby!?" The only reason that his shout wasn't heard was because Mettaton managed to clamp his muzzle shut at the last second, though the robot was just as shocked as the others turned, staring wide-eyed at what stood before them.

A creature made of white flames was standing a few feet away. It looked like he might be wearing something, as there seemed to be the shape of a tailcoat in the flames—but in all senses of the word, everything about Grillby was a white flamed silhouette. The only thing that wasn't white was a bowtie made of scarlet flames.

There was a soft chuckle, his smile reappearing. "Sorry for the surprise, this was last minute notice for us as well. He adjusted his glasses, the broken lens revealing a crimson eye behind it.

Muffet stepped forward. "Apologies, but there were…inconveniences with telling you beforehand." Everything about her attire was a marron color, which made sense with the purple red combination that ended up taking place.

Her heels and legs were completely covered in the dark red fabric, and it seemed she wore a shawl that draped over her dark and short dress that ruffled slightly at that waist. She blinked her red eyes, and raised a hand to adjust an ebony tiara with five ruby like gems that sat in her loose hair. While it seemed there were some remnants of her pigtails, they were lower and looser now.

The last obvious thing was the veil of webbing in front of her face and that she was nearly two heads taller as she stood beside her husband.

Dogamy's jaw dropped as Mettaton released him. "What did you do?"

Gerson stared. "I…I can't believe, you two actually?"

"Yes…" Grillby started.

Gerson drew a hand over his face. "Oh, gods, they actually did it."

William frowned. "Did what?"

Grillby looked up, a frown noticeable on his features. "Once this all settles, the two of us shall explain ourselves."

Muffet nodded, turning to look at her husband, revealing one final thing to her form. There was something attached to the lower part of the back of her dress, a white material, probably akin to silk that draped from her dress, nearly all the way to the ground. "Now isn't the time, nor is this the place. Let's get Frisk back while we have quite the element of surprise."

Napstablook came closer. "Are…all of you okay?" they whispered.

"We're all fine," Grillby assured. "This was their idea."

"Chara," Napstablook whispered. "Why must you worry me like this? Just…please be careful?"

The two monsters nodded, and then, Mettaton smirked. "Well, how do we plan to approach this? There is the chain fence."

Grillby chuckled. "Dear, hold these," he stated, giving Muffet his glasses. He moved forward toward the gate, and, being made entirely of flames—he stepped through the chain links, and then melted the padlock on the gate, allowing easy access for the others.

Dogamy frowned. "I think someone's being a show-off," he partially joked.

"It gets the job done."

"Dear," Muffet started. "You should approach the side—I don't see any windows there. I can get us onto the roof and we can probably enter from up above."

"Then I'll meet you there, darlings," Mettaton purred.

Grillby turned. "What do you mean—"

Metal on his back moved, and to everyone's surprise, wings of light formed as he moved a hand over his hair, slicking it back so that his face was no longer obscure. "I made some…modifications to this."

"Oh my…" Muffet managed, while he leapt to the air, shooting off like a silent missile, and heading for the roof.

"Well," Gerson started. "I'm staying on the ground where I belong."

"Me too," Dogamy stated.

William chuckled dryly. "Point taken. How about Clarabelle, Michael, and I take the door to the left?"

"That leaves us the closer one," Dogamy murmured, not liking how smoothly William had split the group—and Dogamy couldn't risk trying to argue it, unless he wanted to bring attention to it. He just had to hope Napstablook was fast.

With that the group split up, each taking their own approach to things. Muffet's spider like abilities allowed her to climb the side of the building, and then give Grillby a web to climb up as well. By the time they were both ready, Mettaton was dragging two unconscious humans behind the door that would lead them in.

Grillby melted the handle and forced it open.

* * *

Dogamy raised an ear to the door they were attempting to get into, and with some focus from between him and Gerson, they activated their seldom used blue magic to move the bolt back.

They never noticed a final figure in the alley's shadows, their claws softly raking the ground before they darted for the building.

* * *

Michael picked the lock to the door he and the other two humans entered, once within, the three humans looked around, with Michael cringing. "On second thought," he moaned, not liking the dark and small hallways.

Clarabelle grabbed him and yanked him after her. "Oh, don't be a big baby."

As they moved down the halls, William slowed, causing Michael to turn. "Sir?"

"Keep going," he assured. "I want to check something…"

"As you wish, Leader," Clarabelle replied, grabbing Michael and dragging him along. Eventually, they came to a branching corridor. Michael was on edge. They hadn't run into anyone. "You go left, I go right," the woman stated.

"You sure?"

"We'll cover more ground this way…"

"Right…" Slowly, Michael made his way down the other hall, pausing when the light from under a door caught his attention. He turned, reaching for it. He didn't hear the movement behind him, not until the last second—when he turned—only for something to smack him upon the head, and send the world black.


	96. Good as Dead

Red eyes peered through the darkened halls. A hand swept through white hair as William moved along. There had been a commotion up ahead, and he had gone to investigate it. He reached a door, eyes narrowing, and then he opened it, the room completely gray as he did so.

The room, while large, was mostly barren, aside from two conveyer belts. Their purpose was not obvious though as he walked along, seemingly on guard. In one corner, Dogamy was frozen in time, in mid launch upon an unsuspecting human while Gerson was stuck in mid swing on another.

There was a staircase that led to the second floor—the kind where one could see the door as the room had a high ceiling, allowing for catwalks to be held above the room. William looked around, eyes narrowing. "Frisk?" he called, walking around, and checking hiding spots. He stooped down, knowing the fusion tended to hide low.

He was in a time bubble, so his defenses were down. After all, there was only one other that was immune, and they shouldn't be able to cause a fuss. "Where are you? Come along, you need to come out before someone gets hurt—"

William gave a shout as metal met the back of his head and he fell to the floor. He rolled as a crowbar slammed into the ground, just missing him. He clutched his now bleeding head, and looked up, his eyes widening as crimson eyes met his own.

The human barely had the chance to react as he rolled away from another swing, managing to get back to his feet, breathing heavily as he dodged a third swing, and then caught it on the fourth. William groaned, feeling blood dripping down the back of his neck as he looked at the other human.

A man, probably in his thirties…but as William inspected him, his blood ran cold. This face was familiar… "Where is the child?" William growled lowly. This shouldn't be happening, he shouldn't have to be demanding answers out of a red eye—but he knew not to trust this one.

The man chuckled darkly. "Oh, you certainly have been wondering, haven't you?"

The crowbar slipped free of William's weakened grasp, and the albino stumbled back. Where had he seen…? Then he remembered where he had seen that face before. It had been a while—but when he figured out where Frisk had lived, William looked into the family.

Frisk had even let him see some of the photos they had salvaged. This man—they looked like Frisk's father—except there was something very inherently wrong with what was in front of him. Frisk's father clearly had blue eyes in the photo—there was no way to hide or change eye colors, and there was no reason to change it for a family picture through editing.

No, while this man looked like Frisk's father—the red eyes screamed that there was something very, very wrong. However, William couldn't concern himself with that. This man was a good twenty years younger than him, and so the albino was at a physical disadvantage—though the fight wasn't in his favor from the very start.

William may know how to fight—but that was with his abilities. He never had to worry about them not being useful, because the very idea that he would fight another red eye was just so outlandish due to how the government handled them.

"You know," the other purred as he attacked the Leader. "I don't think you're going to last through this night. You're getting on in years, and frankly…some of us are looking forward to a new leader. Because, well, if you die…what's going to stop me from taking the city? After all, we removed the competition."

William had no choice but to continue dodging. He couldn't fight him head on! The older human's eyes narrowed, his hands closing into tight fists. "What did you do to the others?" he demanded.

"Oh, your fellow red-eyes are very much dead." William cried out as he got hit in the chest, stumbling back, crashing against one of the deactivated conveyer belts. With quick thinking, he tumbled off it backwards, managing to land on his feet.

"Though that doesn't quite mean that they're gone," he said, casually getting on top of the conveyer belt while William tried to put more distance between them.

William felt rage boiling within him. "Your group is the reason they've been disappearing."

"Just until you were the only known one left."

"And just what the hell are you then!?" William snapped, as he realized that his close friends had been killed.

"What's the matter? You seem riled."

"Damn hell, I'm riled," the albino snarled. "Now what the hell are you?"

"'What' is a little harsh, don't you think?"

"You're not the same person that man had been," William growled. "He was a blue eye—you are not."

"Ah, so you do recognize this man." William vaulted over the other conveyer belt as the red eye drew closer.

"The Ambassador's father," William growled. "What happened to him?"

"And yet you don't care to ask what happened to me," the other replied, tsking softly.

"Answer the questions!" William shouted in rage.

The man hopped onto the next conveyer built, towering over the battered human. "Are you really in a position to be demanding things, Leader?"

"You said I'm not going to last the night," William managed, gritting his teeth. "Not going to hurt anything to tell me."

He knew he couldn't win this fight. And he couldn't even stall for time. No one could come to his rescue except for Frisk, and he highly doubted that was about to happen. "True," the other murmured. "Even if you run out of my time bubble, I can set another up. No one can help you." He chuckled. "Seeing as we're immune to each other's powers…how does it feel to be the victim of it?"

"You can stop gloating and start talking."

"Reaper's Harvest researches souls as you know. We take them upon death when we can. I was…special. A rare red-eye born where they could grab me…but…something went wrong with me. My own body…I was dead in the moment I was born…but they were able to get my soul."

He twirled his make-shift weapon. "I don't know how long I slept—but eventually; they found a body for me. One that wasn't dead just yet…and so, this became my form."

William stepped back. "So your soul overrode the original color."

"Precisely…though I was told plenty about this man once I was within this body long enough. After all, everything about my life was built from scratch."

"You didn't even have a childhood," William growled.

"Oh, I'm sure I missed out. It's not like you had one either, let's be honest. Red eyes are taken from their families after all."

"For reasons like this," William growled. "Because someone like you on the wrong side was just asking for trouble."

"You have to admit it is a flawed way of going about things," the other replied. "Taking red eyes away from a family—not ever knowing their own parents. A simple thing that could have been fixed by allowing the parents to raise you alongside the government. That was all they had to do."

William folded his arms. While he raised good points—that was something he couldn't change. This was how the government dealt with their magic type. "So they saved your life with his body…" Though he doubted this man's life had much more freedom than his own. William felt Reaper's Harvest would have kept a careful eye on him.

"This man was a traitor to our organization," the red eye purred. "What better punishment than to trap him here—even in death?"

"His soul is somewhere in this Hell hole?" William growled.

"Oh, but of course. The mother as well, somewhere, anywhere. It's hard to say. It's not like I'm the know it all here."

"And just how was he involved with this group?"

"Oh, rather it was a sibling that was among our ranks. When the couple had their little red-eye child, we knew right away. It was actually the sibling that figured out the eye color before the government did, and with some sweet talked, persuaded the child's parents to hide the truth—so they wouldn't lose their little one to your government."

"And that's how Frisk stayed under the radar," William growled.

"But they ran into trouble," the red eye replied. "Once the parents realized what they were getting into…they decoyed us. By the time we realized that we were being played for fools, the child was long gone. The first place we checked was the grandparents' home, but…the child wasn't there."

William frowned, and remembered what Frisk once mentioned to him. A brief memory of being on a bus in the middle of the night…the parents had somehow managed to have it so that Frisk's arrival to the grandparents wasn't immediate so that the child wouldn't be caught by an initial visit.

The grandparents might have gathered that something was wrong when Frisk came alone, and then kept the little child hidden, unsure of what to do with the secret red-eye now under their roof…but they couldn't be there forever.

William let loose a shaky breath. "So the group trapped their souls, and ever since, you've used his body to live."

"That's the short version of that story," he replied.

"And now that Frisk resurfaced, you went after them for their magic?"

"Well, originally, yes, but…" The man chuckled. "Leader, they host a variety of monster souls. The research into the monster magic has been…rather beneficial for us and…making sure monsters can't take our souls."

"What have you been doing to them?" William demanded.

"Don't you think that's a bit vague?" the other asked, as he approached. William started to back up. "Though, I don't feel obliged to say what has happened to your precious little ambassador."

He came forward. "Well, not exactly. Because, while this isn't the method, it certainly felt like _this_!" William tried to widen the gap, but the other sprung forward with great speed, the crowbar slamming into William's side.

The leader cried out, stumbling, but the other was relentless, hitting him over and over as he tried to fight back—but his attempts were feeble. "How does it feel!?" It crashed into his shoulder. "To be on the other side of this!?" His leg. "You think you're untouchable!" He was sent down on hands and knees.

"But we take away your ability to freeze others—" William cried out as it slammed into his back. "And you're just like any other human!" William was sent fully to the ground, trying to protect himself—but he couldn't do much.

"Every other magic type is rooted in combat from centuries ago—even the healers. But you…aside from your initial gift—if you're flung into a battlefield; you're as good as dead." William bit his lip as the other continued to attack. He was certain that bones had cracked—or broke completely at this point.

The beating ceased, and William coughed harshly, a metallic taste in his mouth as his breathing remained labored. He tried to get up, only for a foot to meet his battered side. William cried out, coughing up blood as he slumped completely down. "My, you don't seem to be in good condition anymore," the red eye murmured, keeping his foot on top of the wounded one.

The albino quivered in pain and the anger still burned within him. His white locks of hair were stained red here and there, and there were cuts and deep bruising along his body. "Now I'd like to stay and chat, but I want to have a little fun with this pathetic rescue attempt. Too bad you're down. You were basically the only chance they had at victory. After all…"

He moved away, and then glanced over his shoulder.

"How do you expect them to stop me when I can freeze them in an instant?" William quivered, fingers twitching, while the other chuckled. "Anyways, I'm going to let time flow again. There's someone here who's been wanting to talk to you for quite some time." With that, he strode out, with time resuming in most areas, but leaving the monsters frozen in combat with the other humans.

William lay there, breathing heavily, trying to somehow gather energy. The only chance he had, was to crawl to the monsters, and see if he could free them…but he couldn't even move, much less crawl.

His vision faded in and out, with everything a messy blur. He had to get up…the child was still here somewhere…he had to…but he couldn't. Faintly, he heard an upper door open and footsteps on metal as they came downstairs. The owner strode over, their footsteps echoing in the large room.

Their shadow fell over him…but he didn't have the energy to look up, at least—not until they decided to speak.

"You know, Leader, I once told you that one day, you'd have it handed to you…" The human knelt. "And I promised that on that day…" Aqua eyes lit up. "I'd laugh in your face, and say…" A hand grabbed William's face harshly, forcing him to look up fully as Clarabelle smirked.

"I told you so."

William stared in horror, as his assistant smiled calmly down at him. "Surprised?" she purred. "Oh, you must be so confused. You and Michael—oh, he's really gullible, but I'm disappointed, Leader. You really didn't see it coming?"

She released him, letting his head drop back onto the concrete floor. "Though I must say, the past while has been most enjoyable."

"You…" William managed, forcing the word out. "Drugged…"

"Oh, that was very much real," Clarabelle replied. "Had to do every part of the poor victim act. The only flaw in my plan was that elemental surviving. Had she not made it, she wouldn't have been able to spill that it was Reaper's Harvest. Oh, you would be spinning in circles on my whim."

"W…hy…?" Hurt, betrayal…but anger was starting to drown them all.

"A red soul, William. They're hard to get. And oh, being around you, I got to learn every little thing about Frisk. Their soul type, the way the fusion worked—that tiara, oh, and due to you, I could get close to the monsters. Planting that little bug in the home…and I have nearly constant alibis since Frisk's kidnapping due to Michael."

William closed his fists tight, despising her in that moment for taking advantage of Michael—everyone for that matter, but his head of security—even if they got out of this alive…

"And you were very convenient, grabbing the file out of the archives. Oh, missing pages—the monsters were starting to worry about you. Your timing and a little wording on my part made them wary. Maybe that's half the reason you couldn't call backup, Leader."

"Done…g…loat…ing?" William snarled lowly.

"After all these years? I think I'm going to have a little fun. Oh, my people, I can't believe I was working with such a treacherous man, but fret not, there is still a red eye in the city to help us in our time of need." She giggled. "Maybe I should actually sound heartbroken when I tell the city."

William quivered, and looked up, red eyes narrowing. He doubted his chances of surviving, so what did it matter. "Well, dear…your true…co…lors…"

He gave a bloody grin. "Are as ug…ly as Hell." He gave a soft grunt as she calmly slapped him.

"Hope you enjoyed your last comeback, Leader, and that your last day as Leader was enjoyable. Things are going to change…and the monsters will be put in their place. We won't have to worry about that soul taking ability of theirs either."

She raised a pistol. "Not my forte perhaps, but anyone can shoot a down man in the head. Such a shame that it's a bit of lead that takes you."

William kept his gaze up, eyes open. He wasn't going to shy away, or give her any satisfaction. She smirked, her finger starting to close on the trigger.

And a shot rang out.

Clarabelle gave a ragged gasp, a yellow bolt of magic piercing her through the chest. She crumpled to the floor, and William looked up, his vision pulsing—but he made out a figure sitting on the platform by the upstairs door, having shot through the railings. …Jeremiah.


	97. I'll Carry You

Jeremiah stared down at the room below, unable to believe what he had just seen—what he had just done. He snapped out of it, and started to make his way down the stairs—though with his busted leg, he sat down, scooting down the stairs as swiftly as possible. Once at the bottom, he hobbled over to the battered and bruised red eye.

"William? William!" His voice was a harsh whisper as he gently checked for a pulse—relieved when he still found one. Though he fretted—uncertain how bad William's wounds were. Sure there were bleeding cuts and gashes and bruising—but Jeremiah was pretty sure there was internal damage from the looks of things. How safe was it to move him?

"H…el…p…" Jeremiah perked in alarm, looking to William as he fought to stay conscious. "Ne…ed…to…get…to…mon…sters…" Jeremiah moved his gaze, and saw what the issue was. William wanted to use the last of his ability to free them from the small time bubble they were caught in—though Jeremiah wasn't fully caught up on the situation.

Jeremiah gritted his teeth as he kneeled on his bad leg—the limb protesting as he started to pick up William. He was relieved once he could put the weight on his good leg, and somehow, he managed to stand while supporting his leader. Though the other leg protested, he decided to grin and bear it.

Slowly, with William leaning heavily on him, Jeremiah got him near the others. He didn't fear the time halting abilities while he was in contact with the other. The battered man reached out, dispelling parts of the time bubble—and freeing the two monsters.

Jeremiah yanked William back as the two sprung back to life—swiftly taking the other two humans down—using the element of surprise to their advantage. They jerked in alarm as they saw the two. "What in the—?" Gerson started to demand.

The yellow eyed human glanced up with concern. "We…we need help…"

Gerson looked at the wounded man, and then came forward. "What happened?" he asked again.

"I—I don't know," Jeremiah stammered.

"'Nother…red eye…." William managed.

Dogamy froze. "There's another…? I thought he was the only one."

"I don't know," Jeremiah repeated helplessly. "All I know is that he's hurt—Michael's unconscious, and…"

The dog looked up, catching an odd scent, and when he saw the slumped form, he started to move. "Clarabelle…"

"…dead," Jeremiah managed softly.

Gerson dipped his head. "Where's Michael? We'll sort this all out later."

"Upstairs."

"Right. Here, I'll help you get William out, and Dogamy can get upstairs for Michael. He should manage."

Dogamy glanced to the steps, already on the move.

"C…all…back…up…" William managed, starting to lose what little strength he had left. The turtle moved to his side, helping to support him, though his wounded shell protested to the idea.

"Easy," the turtle managed, glancing briefly back to the dead woman, and studying the two as they began to move. He didn't quite know what happened, but he was starting to form a good idea.

* * *

On the other side of the building, Napstablook phased through the ceiling of what had become Frisk's room. The ghost looked about to the left and right, only to find that the room was empty.

"Frisk…?" they called softly…but nobody answered. The ghost swiftly checked the bed—the only place they could hide…but the child wasn't there. Napstablook frowned, looking around. This was the soul cluttered room—albeit, the souls were hidden in nooks within the wall—likely so that Frisk couldn't move them into some strange pattern that would have caught their attention.

They weren't here…where then? Frisk stood out in the ghost's vision, and yet…they couldn't catch any sign of them. With the crowd of souls hindering them, Napstablook slipped out, frowning. At this point, the ghost knew that at least one of the humans was most definitely not on their side.

How else would the group know to crowd around Frisk to stop them from being found? The ghost quivered in agitation, turning slowly—halting when they found a red soul by itself. It didn't make sense…but it was all the ghost had.

Besides, this soul seemed…different—oh, it was familiar, but as Napstablook focused on it—it was not as vibrant as it had once been. Instantly, the ghost took a straight path for it, phasing through halls and other rooms, ignoring the other souls they passed. It didn't matter—what mattered was finding Frisk and getting them out of here. It was simple.

They sailed into the room, and sure enough, they saw the child, sitting on a chair, head bowed, their eyes covered by the scarf. "Frisk!" The child jerked their head up to the sound, but as they went forth—something triggered. Whether it was from the ghost's movement, or from their voice, it was hard to say, regardless, the events still went into motion.

Napstablook heard it, the sound of machinery moving. They whipped around, unafraid. Machines were physical—Napstablook could handle anything in that regard. However, they weren't prepared for the reality of it, and were suddenly hit by a weapon similar to what had managed to strike Doggo down.

The ghost cried out in shock—and then pain as they fell to the ground, feeling as if their very being was draining away. Frisk shrieked in alarm, unable to see what was going on. They slipped off the chair, blindly seeking their friend as they moved toward the ghost's cries…until the sound faded away…and the weapon stopped.

Frisk couldn't see…no, they couldn't see the now empty room. "B…Blooky…?" they called nervously…but there was no response. They bit their lip hard. "Blooky!?" Despite their frantic searching, however…they were unable to find them.

The child whined, covering their face. They couldn't do anything like this! With all their abilities taken—and their sight useless…they didn't even know what had taken place—or what could be possibly done to fix anything as everything started to crumble around them. The child couldn't save the ghost…they couldn't run for safety…all they could do was wait for the outcome of this night.

The child dropped to their knees, shuddering, doubting that they would get their freedom.

* * *

In another part of the building, a door handle melted away, before being pushed open. The white elemental peered out, frowning in distaste. "Empty," he muttered.

"This isn't boding well," Muffet replied, blinking her red eyes as she came up daintily behind him.

"Anything on your scanners, Mettaton?" Grillby questioned.

The battle ready robot looked around. "Not in the nearby rooms anyways…I wish my soul vision was stronger. Napstablook puts me to shame, and the scanners rely on sound and heat…which I don't see."

"Let's keep moving," the spider suggested. "Something's going on."

Mettaton nodded as they continued through the building, until Mettaton pulled the other two to a halt. "Humans are coming down the hall," he muttered.

The spider grinned, fangs gleaming. "May I?"

Grillby chuckled. "By all means, Dear."

Muffet moved to the wall, climbing up it, swiftly reaching the top of it at the corner where the humans were coming from. Grillby and Mettaton backed up, ducking back into the empty room, but still watching the spider.

As the humans entered the hall, she crept onto the ceiling, watching them as they glanced around. As they began to move, she crept down on a single thread, landing silently on the floor, raising all six of her arms as she approached.

She surged forward, clamping hands over their mouths, while her free arms grabbed their own. While they struggled in a panic, threads appeared, swiftly wrapping them up. In the end—the only sound that was made, was the clatter of their weapons hitting the ground, and the soft thuds of their now cocooned bodies landing on the floor.

With that, she walked over, opening the door to where the other two hid themselves. "I believe the job is done."

Grillby's flames crackled in amusement as he rested his head against hers for a moment. "Stunningly beautiful."

She pushed him away, giggling. "Stop that, not now."

"So what do we want to do with these two?" Mettaton asked, trying to avoid smirking at the couple.

"I was just considering to have them dangle from the ceiling," Muffet murmured.

"We don't want to blow our cover—if we haven't already," Grillby reasoned.

"There's that storage closet," Mettaton replied, pointing into the back of the room.

"Then, if you two would be gentlemen…?" Muffet asked sweetly.

A minute later, Muffet opened the door as the other two haphazardly dropped the struggling humans into the closet. "Will they be all right?" Mettaton asked.

"They can breathe," Muffet assured. "But they're not getting out of that on their own." She grinned eerily. "Such a shame—caught two humans, and none are worth putting into a recipe—they would ruin any meal with their vulgar flavor."

With that, she confidently walked out, with Mettaton glancing to the elemental. "Is she being serious…?"

"I don't know, nor do I want to," Grillby replied. "She has her methods, and they seem to work fine…let's just keep going…"

As the two caught up to the spider, Mettaton suddenly turned his head. "There's a commotion this way…"

Grillby turned, looking down the other hall. "We should go," he stated. "Some of our friends could be in trouble."

With that, the three hurried down the hall. Due to starting from the roof, they soon found themselves rushing onto a cat walk that suspended the larger room where William had been taken down.

It seemed that Dogamy and Gerson had got the humans out and had returned, only to be caught in the fray. The three stared, before Muffet leaned over the cat walk, shooting out a web, the thread wrapping around a human's arm, before she yanked back, taking him away from the turtle.

Grillby put his hand on her thread, and white flames raced down it, meeting the human, and setting his clothing on fire. The human cried out, dropping to the ground, trying to put out the flames.

Mettaton leapt onto the railing of the cat walk, his wings opening, and his cannon forming. In an instant, he dove off, with Muffet grabbing onto Grillby as the platform shook. The robot took one human down with his cannon—and then plowed into another with sheer force before landing neatly on the ground and kicking a third, ignoring a bullet that bounced off his body.

Muffet sighed in relief as the shaking on the catwalk stopped, only to cry out as bullet tore through the air—harmlessly passing through her husband, but she still pulled back in alarm, hitting the railing roughly.

Grillby's eyes widened as he saw her falling, and he lunged forward to grab her—and missed.

The spider's eyes snapped wide open as she realized she was falling, and then—things felt odd. Muffet felt as if the fall had been…slowed? That's right, that's what it felt like. Still, she reacted, sending out a thread to the railing, so that her fall was cut short.

"Muffet!" Grillby exclaimed, vaulting off the railing as he saw a human taking advantage of the situation. The human was moving too fast—his elemental attack would be too slow! Grillby met the ground at an alarming rate, flames spreading out from his landing as the human seemingly slowed…and the monster appeared to speed up.

Balls of flame pelted the other human—who's reaction looked delayed, whereas Grillby turned, and raised his arms. "Muffet, drop down!"

The spider fusion fell into his hold, and the elemental sheltered her as he turned swiftly, making sure it was safe to set her down. More humans were filing in, but…they were ready… Grillby stepped forward, the odd smile in his flames widening as his flames grew dangerously.

Muffet's fingers twitched as she prepared more threads while a purple tint came to her fangs. Mettaton's cannon whirred as it charged for another attack, while Dogamy drew his battle axe out of someone's shoulder, and Gerson raised his hammer off the back of a fallen human.

They may be monsters…but they could manage a fight with humans as a team. They could manage with what these humans were currently throwing at them.

* * *

Claws clacked on the floor, the sound echoing softly in the halls as something moved about at a steady pace. Doors were slowly forced opened, and peered into as the creature searched the area.

Until finally, they opened a door…and found what they sought. "Frisk!"

The slumped child jerked their head up, recognizing the voice. "R…Rex!?"

The reptile went to step forward, but Frisk shouted at them. "Yo…" Rex started to protest.

"There's something in here," Frisk whimpered. "It hit Napstablook…" They had been crawling around, trying to find the ghost. The only relieving thing was that their hands hadn't found dust—but, did ghost monsters have dust? Frisk wasn't sure…

"Yo, I don't see them," Rex murmured worriedly. "Here, come towards me instead."

Slowly, Frisk staggered toward them, plowing into the lizard's chest. Rex had grown a little over the past four years, and now, they were nearly half a head taller. The reptile gave a little grunt, and then nuzzled Frisk's head with a soothing sound, before lowering their gaze. "What did they do to you?" they growled softly, baring their fangs.

"Th…they drained my magic—they're—they're using it for something," Frisk managed. "R—Rex…"

The reptile pressed their muzzle against the fusion, assuring them that they were listening.

Frisk wrapped their arms around their friend, fingers digging into the other's sweater. "I—I'm scared," they hiccupped.

"Shh," Rex soothed, nuzzling them some more, making soft sounds as they did. "It's okay. I'm here…everyone's come to get you."

Frisk shook their head. "R…Rex…there's another red magic user." The lizard stiffened. "I need…I need to get out of here…if I get caught…but…I….I can't see…"

"Then I'll carry you," Rex stated. "I know I'm not the most comfortable thing with my spikes and all—but they're dull, and…I can carry you."

Usually, Frisk would have protested to the offer—but they knew they weren't in any condition. They nodded with another shaky hiccup, and slowly loosened their grip. Rex turned, and after a few slipups, Frisk managed to get on their back, resting awkwardly to avoid the spikes as best they could.

"Got a good grip?" Rex asked.

"Uh-huh…"

"Good, just hang tight. I'll get you home." Frisk made a sound of acknowledgement—allowing themselves to relax for a moment—their ear fins drooping low. Rex was here…if they could escape back to the kingdom, then…Frisk could eventually backtrack through this whole mess.

Rex headed through the halls, but after a few minutes, the reptile realized that they had gotten themselves lost. To Rex, all the halls looked the same, and while seeking out Frisk, they had paid no mind to which way they had been going.

They stopped at a junction, tapping their claws gently in thought, before they began to hear sounds coming from one hall. Worriedly, Rex moved in the opposite direction, but a short while later, they regretted that decision.

In an effort to ditch what was likely more humans, Rex nudged an ajar door open…and found themselves looking down on the room that was now a battlefield…


	98. Up in Flames

Rex looked down at the fray in alarm, realizing they had made a major mistake, and started to go back for the door, when Frisk dug their fingers into them. "Footsteps still coming," they managed. Rex gulped, and then wedged themselves into the far corner of the landing, their heart starting to hammer harshly.

The door was slammed open—nearly smacking Rex in the face—but thankfully hiding the two from the new human who stepped out onto the landing. The reptile carefully poked their head around the door, watching the man as he stood atop the stairs…raising a strange weapon.

Frisk perked in worry as the two heard the rotating chambers. The two children couldn't see it from where they were, but Aqua came to the top of the weapon as the human aimed down into the fray—and fired.

Dogamy yelped—crashing to the ground. At first, he had the energy to get back onto all fours, but his legs soon gave out, and he slumped back down. Gerson turned in alarm, his hammer colliding into a human. "Dogamy!" The wounded turtle and several other monsters rushed for the canine.

The chamber of the weapon rotated, yellow coming to the top instead. This time, the weapon hit Gerson. The old warrior cried out, dropping onto his knees—using his hammer to keep him from falling all the way.

Rex's eyes widened and they started to move. "Frisk," they whispered. "Let go and stay put…" The gun's chambers rotated, and struck Mettaton. The robot called out more in surprise, and dove for cover—his body being what protected him from the worst of it, though even he was not immune.

Frisk whimpered a quiet protest, but Rex wasn't going to have it. Reluctantly, the child released them, and stayed behind the door, while the reptile crept out around it. "Yo!" they suddenly shouted. The human turned—but not fast enough to react to the reptile as Rex plowed into his chest—pushing off him, and landing roughly on the platform, while the human crashed down the stairs.

Rex panted harshly, the weapon clattering along the floor below as other humans began to surround the fallen monsters. One had grabbed a metal bar from elsewhere in the room, putting a foot on the down turtle—the other monsters were barely holding their own below—they couldn't get to the others in time!

The metal bar came ramming down, and Gerson shouted as it hit his wounded shell, and there was the sound akin to cracking wood. It came down again—and, already battered from the bullet, it was far too easy for cracks to form, spreading out from the initial wound.

"Gerson!" Rex shouted in alarm, before tearing down the stairs, launching themselves off the last step, and crashing into the human that dared to harm the monster. The reptile's force sent the human to the ground, and Rex took that moment to grab their dagger in their mouth, growling lowly.

Rex snarled, feeling something surge within them. Their best friend—the one they would come for, no matter what…they needed to be protected—they were going to get through this!

The reptile relied more on tackling humans to the ground, and wounding them enough to keep them from attacking right away. Rex was taught to defend—not to jump in the midst of the fray, but they found themselves in it before reason could call them back.

Rex gagged as someone grabbed them by the collar of their sweater. They were slammed to the ground, the dagger falling from their grasp as they were pinned. It was right by their shoulder as the other human kept them trapped. Rex bared their fangs at the attacking human.

They raised the metal pipe, and Grillby and Muffet turned in alarm, realizing the child was in danger. "REX!" It swung down.

And a metal clang filled the air.

Rex gave a grunt as they opened their eyes, before staring in alarm to see their dagger hovering just above them, pushing back against the pipe—except, Rex felt like they were pushing against it themselves. The child groaned, pushing back as much as they could, until they managed to push far enough to get back on their feet, and plow into the human's legs before they could start another attack.

The reptile whipped around, the dagger hovering just a little in front of them, as if they were preparing to engage in yet another battle. "Yo," they growled lowly, claws tapping the floor harshly. "Get back."

Some of the humans jumped in alarm. "It has magic!?"

Rex didn't know what they had, but they didn't care in the moment as they tackled another human with general ease now that the dagger would move in front of them, as if they had hands to hold it in.

Across the room, another human picked up the weapon—and aimed for the troublesome reptile. Rex gave a grunt as they were hit by it—but the initial shot didn't bother them at all as they continued to fight—purely distracting the humans from Gerson and Dogamy.

The chamber rotated to blue, and fired—but it didn't really bother Rex. The only thing that happened was a surprised reaction—the reptile's movements refused to slow, and so they continued their fight.

Over and over, the chamber fired the seven colors it held—but none of them harmed Rex as they finally turned their attention to the one shooting them. Rex darted forth with great speed, claws clacking rapidly, before they lunged at the human, spinning in midair—using their tail to smack at their hands—the weapon was sent flying—and the room went gray.

Frisk grabbed the tail of their scarf, biting into it as they continued to hide. They could sense it—after years of practice, they knew when to feel the time slow and halt. He was here…they were going to lose. They huddled up, and simply waited to be found. They couldn't see—they didn't know what to use to their advantage.

However, as William once explained—one could not interact with someone frozen, and keep it that way. Thus, the tactic for a red eye in battle, was to pause time, and then come up from behind as time resumed. That was what happened to Rex.

In the instant that time resumed, however, something inside the child screamed where the danger was. They couldn't turn around fast enough—but that didn't stop something from forming behind them. There was a sound of glass cracking, and when the reptile turned, both they and the red eye stared in alarm at a pink madder shield that conjured between them, a bullet embedded in it.

The shield was cracked where it was hit, and then shattered completely, but the bullet fell harmlessly to the ground, leaving Rex safe.

The reptile went gray as time was halted again—but the instant it was forced to resume, they whipped around as a crowbar sailed down. The child was panting, trying to keep up with this strange fight, and the new things that were happening to them. They could barely follow the situation!

As it went on, Rex felt they knew what was happening. This was a red eye like Frisk—he was likely manipulating time. Rex could sense the change each time it resumed. They couldn't keep doing this—they'd slip up eventually! However, with this man freezing things constantly, Rex was low on options.

The child thought rapidly, trying to figure out how to outwit a time manipulator. Then, they remembered something Frisk mentioned once after one of their training sessions. They could take people through their time warps if they were in contact…

Rex had to strike back! The time halted—and they whipped around as it resumed a new shield forming as they spun, and then grappled his wrist with a foot. The human gasped, wrenching back in alarm, halting time fully—but Rex continued moving, slashing their dagger at the incoming hand, and then, they swung their other foot.

There was a cry as claws ripped through the flesh on the man's face. The toes were spread wide, narrowly missing the eyes as they raked down. The child lost the traction, and then head butted the human, and as the child started to fall, they spun, hitting the red eye with their tail—the spines hitting the man's side.

They weren't enough to cut, but they got his attention. However, Rex knew they would end up either upside down, or frozen in time. And so, they attempt to let go so that they could at least land upright. They became gray—and were rammed to the ground, a hand on their throat—the dagger skittering away.

Rex gagged and kicked harshly; trying to claw at the man again, but found themselves unable to. They desperately tried to summon the dagger back to them, but it remained where it had landed several feet away. They couldn't bring it back.

"God damn brat," the human snarled as blood trickled down his marred face. "You're going to regret this."

Rex struggled desperately, trying to move their head enough to sink their fangs into the red eye. At this rate—they were going to get sent to dust! Rex hissed and spat—though that didn't do much.

Throughout the fight, they had stayed in generally the same area, the scuffle never straying far. The man had his back to the room, as they had been fighting by the edge. Rex saw it—though they didn't know how—but they went silent, looking back to the human, not wanting to give anything away.

However, the human eventually detected the ever building heat and warmth coming from behind. He turned in time to see a wall of flames moving slowly toward him—he stumbled back in surprise, putting Rex into the gray—but he hadn't expected this, and the flames were not halting in his abilities.

Some of the flames managed to grab at him, and already battered, he fled for the nearest exit, though that didn't stop some of the fire. For on the other side of the room—the two fusions were still moving—albeit sluggishly.

With one last surge of power, Chara's magic entwined with Grillby's fire, speeding it up to catch up with the human, some of it managing to go after him despite his attempts to shut the door. They didn't see how well they did, but as time began to warp in the room, as if the power was flickering, they assumed they had his attention.

Likely, he would be too wounded to risk coming back in again, especially with Rex's odd abilities surging forth in the heat of battle. As time resumed fully, things went wild again as the couple, Rex, and Mettaton tried to fight their way to Dogamy and Gerson before anything could happen to them.

The two fusions slowed the enemy the best they could, while hastening the fighters. They were so focused on their fallen comrades, that they didn't see the human who had hidden himself when the fray got out of hand. No one saw him pick up the gun…or climb his way to the catwalk, where he would be slightly harder to get.

No, in the chaos, no one had the time to take notice, and while Rex was immune to the weapon, and Mettaton was resistant…there were two more monsters that had yet to be hit by the weapon at all.

It changed to orange—and blasted forth. Grillby gave a cry as it plowed into his back. Muffet spun in alarm, grabbing him as he fell. She tried to drag him away—but there was no cover that she could get him to in time. Biting her lip, she spun, putting herself between him and the energy.

She tried to aid her husband—who didn't seem as strong as he had been before. In fact, Muffet felt he was small compared to her as she moved him. Some of his flames were losing their whiteness—slowly turning back to orange.

The spider chose to ignore it in that moment, racing to get him to cover—but it was hard. The chamber of the weapon rotated, switching to purple, and fired once more. "Muffet!" She shrieked as it pelted her back. Her legs soon quivered, and she dropped to her knees, while Grillby tried in vain to support her.

However, he was already weakened, and so, a moment later, he dropped onto his knees with her. He tried to shelter her, but he was losing strength, and while Chara was trying to fuel him on their power alone…it wasn't going to be enough. Rex saw the issue, and bolted for the stairs—but it was unlikely that they could get there in time, and while Mettaton could fly up there—and be resistant to it—he was busy trying to keep humans away from Dogamy and Gerson.

Muffet's fingers dug into Grillby's diminishing flames as her magic faded—until finally—she didn't even have the strength to hold onto Alma. The spirit fell out of the fusion, and Muffet gave a cry as she swiftly altered back to her original form—not even having the magic to transition fully as she laid with her head in Grillby's lap.

The elemental tried to summon magic for another attack, but the human soon switched targets and Grillby was hit in the chest. He was sent back with a shout, losing his hold on Chara—and his flames instantly went back to orange, his original attire returning, as if hidden beneath the flames—though it seemed ill fitted—much like when he had been in the Abyss, and had lost his form to the water.

His form continued to vanish as he tried desperately to crawl away. To Muffet, to cover—at this point, neither option was available to him. He chose Muffet, crawling desperately for her, but eventually, he gave out, slumping down to the ground.

The two would have perished from the weapon—had Rex not suddenly come charging down the catwalk, the dagger back in their mouth. They plowed into the human's legs, jumping on top of them, and swiping the weapon down the pathway with their tail. The dagger pressed against the human's neck just enough to stop him from moving.

Rex's eyes narrowed and they hopped off the human, landing between him and the weapon. The human scrambled to their feet—but with the little terror standing there—they chose to flee the other way. Rex gave a grunt of satisfaction, only to halt as they heard a scream.

They whipped around to find that a human had discovered Frisk's hiding spot, and were about to grab the fusion. Rex moved, jumping as they heard shots echo in the room. They landed on the railing of the catwalk, a bullet nicking the tip of a tail spike. There was another shot, and time seemed to slow from Rex's perspective as they weighed their options.

If they didn't get off the catwalk now, they were going to die, and so, Rex took the only other option—and jumped off, but as they did, their gaze fully focused on the human going for Frisk. They couldn't make that jump—it was halfway across the room, and now, they were falling below it. Regardless, they couldn't let that human be there! They had to get over there! They had to—they had to—they had to!

Rex suddenly met ground, and crashed unceremoniously on the landing in front of Frisk. They blinked in confusion. How? They whipped around as they heard a cry, followed by a thud on the ground. The child turned, staring in confusion to find a human unconscious on the floor below. "Wha…?"

They shook their head, quivering from the strange things that were happening to them. The reptile looked down, watching as Mettaton fought the swarm of humans, switching from physical attacks, to his canon as needed. There was just so many…Rex couldn't keep helping in this fray. Instead, Frisk gasped as they felt themselves being picked up, and settled on Rex's back.

"Yo…hold tight. We're getting out of here." The best chance they had was to get help! Either by telling others of the fight—or getting Frisk back to a reset. With that, the child fled back out into the upper halls.

Down below, the ghost children flew in a panic, trying to do something within the confusion. It was a sudden jolt to no longer be with their hosts, and now they were in the middle of a battle, unable to fend for themselves. In their panic, they forgot who they were up against.

It was easy to trap them in soul jars when they were stunned, and not paying attention.

The monsters were not in a condition to notice, as the young couple lay on the floor, too drained to get any closer to each other. The fight was distant in their ears—as if they were underwater…footsteps…footsteps were approaching.

Muffet looked up tiredly, seeing a human come with a…fire extinguisher? Grillby took his gaze up—an angry crackling could be heard in his flames. He had no evidence, but there was just this instinctual urge to assume that this was the one who nearly killed his niece—not that it was something they could confirm.

As the man started to walk toward the elemental…Muffet shakily reached out, and grabbed his pant leg, halting him. He paused, looking down at her as she bared her fangs. She couldn't do a thing, but she wasn't going to go down doing nothing.

The man smirked, and the next thing Muffet saw in her vision was his foot as he kicked her. Muffet shrieked as she tumbled, stars dancing in her blackening sight. Grillby snapped to life, lunging with what little strength he had left in an attempt to protect her. He grabbed the man's leg, and before the human could react…Grillby's flames went white, and he sent him up in flames.


	99. Battered and Broken

Rex panted heavily as they tore down the hall with Frisk, finally charging down some stairs, looking wildly around, before they finally spotted a door that would lead out. Once they neared it, they found it slightly ajar. With a foot, the child opened it further, and squeezed through with Frisk.

The fusion's grasp tightened on the reptile, but Rex didn't mind. They looked around—pausing as their eyes landed on some forms on the other side of the chain link fence. Rex cautiously drew close—and then relaxed as they recognized the humans.

With that, Rex found the entrance Grillby had created, and rushed over. "Yo!" they called softly as they approached. Michael looked up, a hand on his head, grimacing a little, while Jeremiah knelt beside William's unmoving form.

Michael stared. "What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded.

"To help—and I did, I've got Frisk!"

Jeremiah smiled slightly. "There's some good news anyways…"

Rex drooped a little. "We need help—the others inside…"

"Back up is on the way," the yellow eye assured. "Stay with us—we don't know how far they've spread out."

The child nodded, while Frisk slipped off, fumbling for Rex's shoulder, and then feeling around, trying to find the others. Jeremiah reached over, letting Frisk's searching hand find his. "Hey," he murmured gently. "Long time, hm? How you feeling?"

Frisk sniffled, trying their best to not cry. Jeremiah smiled, and then drew them closer, picking them up and hugging them, while Rex moved around to stick close. "Don't worry," Michael called from where he was resting. "We'll get you to a hospital soon—make sure you're all right…"

Rex looked up. "I can come too, right?"

Michael nodded. "Don't worry, we won't let you get kicked out unless the nurses find it absolutely required."

"That's a relief…" They looked over to Frisk in concern, noting how the scarf was being used, and that the child hadn't taken it off.

Then, their gaze went to their neck, and Rex growled, causing Frisk to turn to the sound in surprise and confusion as their claws raked the ground angrily. The two men looked down at what Rex was glaring at, and then noticed the collar. "The heck…?" Jeremiah muttered as he shifted his hold on Frisk to get a better look at it.

Rex stiffened. "It's the gem from the tiara…"

Frisk bit their lip, and nodded. "…they made the others go silent…" they managed tightly.

"We'll get that removed soon," Jeremiah promised. "We're going to get everyone out of here, and everything will be okay."

Frisk nodded against him, falling completely silent as Rex nuzzled their way next to them, not minding when the fusion latched onto them again. They waited quietly—through it wasn't long before the sound of sirens filled the air.

Rex looked to the building. Help was on the way…hopefully it'd be there soon enough to be of any help, with Mettaton being the only one fighting when Rex had fled with Frisk. The child sighed, leaning against the fusion, and hoped that things would be all right in the end.

* * *

Within the building, Mettaton stood over the fallen warriors, turning in a slow circle as he fired his canon. The robot was being overwhelmed with his comrades fallen in two different areas. He couldn't keep them all alive like this—but he could either save Dogamy and Gerson, or the young couple. He wouldn't be able to save all of them.

His best bet was to continue fighting, and hope that help would arrive soon. Mettaton spun, using a wing to smack a human aside that had gotten far too close. His body was riddled with dents from bullets trying to pierce through his form—but Mettaton had wisely raised the defense of the 'Neo' armor Alphys had started to design.

Another bullet hit his back, and his wings fizzled out, but he ignored it, continuing his struggle. If he could just…Mettaton and the other humans jerked in alarm as other humans stormed in.

The next few minutes was confusing as those of Reaper's Harvest were taken down, but as it started to settle, the robot rushed to the couple, gathering both up in his arms due to Grillby's diminished form.

The spider monster was unconscious, a slight trace of blood dripping down her forehead, while Grillby glanced up wearily…before dimming fully, relieved to know that a friend had him. Mettaton turned, and soon got the help of some other humans to carry Dogamy and Gerson out.

A few minutes later, he too, was outside, just in time to see William and Frisk being carried toward an ambulance. He hesitated, looking down at the wounded monsters, and then picked up his pace. "Wait!" he called. Jeremiah turned, holding Frisk close, his eyes lighting up in alarm as he saw the robot rush over.

"What happened?" the human demanded as he looked at the battered monsters the robot carried—and even Mettaton looked worse for wear.

"I'm not sure—but they, along with Dogamy and Gerson need to be moved somewhere safe until I can figure it out."

Jeremiah nodded. "Right. There should be another ambulance soon. I…I know we're not the same as you, but let our paramedics at least look them over…they might be able to at least tend to her gash."

Mettaton wearily consented, gently setting the two down as more humans approached. "Yo, Mettaton?" Rex called from where they stood by the ambulance. "Have you seen Napstablook?"

Instantly, concern came over the robot. "Not since we entered the building…"

"Frisk said they heard them, but…something happened—they don't know what…"

The robot froze. "…Blooky's still in there?" He whirled, and ran back to the building, bursting in, cursing his lack of decent soul vision. He scoured the place up and down, bursting into rooms, seeking out the ghost.

Finally, he crashed into the room where Frisk had been held. He almost didn't see it…but he halted as his sharp vision caught sight of a distortion in the room. He knelt, vaguely making out a nearly invisible Napstablook. "Blooky…?" There was no response. "Blooky!"

Gingerly, Mettaton moved, managing to scoop up the vague form. If Mettaton hadn't chosen this body—he wasn't sure if he would have found the ghost at all. The robot drew them against his chest, and then turned, running out. They were battered and broken…but they had come out on top—barely.

* * *

Days dragged by, and Mettaton found himself back in the Underground, working late into the night within the lab, typing rapidly at a computer. He didn't hear the door open, or the soft footfalls that approached…or the quiet calling of his name. It wasn't until a hand touched his shoulder that he even reacted—jumping in alarm, nearly swinging an arm out, only to stop as an orange feline jumped back.

Mettaton blinked rapidly. "…Felix?"

"Just me, Boss," the cat assured.

The robot sighed, drawing a hand over his face. "Sorry…"

Felix adjusted his hold on a box he was carrying. "When's the last time you shut down?"

"…when was Frisk kidnapped?"

The cat frowned. "Boss, get some sleep."

"But I—"

"I can handle the lab for a few hours," the cat replied. "Look…one of the humans came and brought this…"

Mettaton frowned, taking the box, opening it to find the strange weapon that the humans had been using. "…this is what they were shooting us with…"

Felix nodded. "You said you had a lead on what it was doing?"

The robot sighed. "Yes…I…when I scanned everyone afterwards…they were drained of their magic—much like Doggo had been. This…they used Frisk to study our magic, to deconstruct it, and make…that. And due to draining Frisk…the souls are dormant. Even when we removed the gem…they're silent. I was fortunate to have a physical body when they drained me, but the others…and Blooky…Blooky's nothing but magic, they've almost killed them!"

The feline raised his paws. "Easy—they're still alive," he assured, his gaze instinctually going to the stairs. For now, Napstablook resided upstairs in Alphys's old room, so that Mettaton could be close by as he worked on this.

Mettaton groaned. "I can help most others replenish their magic—in theory. Most could have a magic transfusion, but…ghosts are pure magic. I can't do that with Napstablook…they have to replenish it all on their own and with how low they are…"

"We'll think of something. Heck, for all we know, the weapon stores the magic it takes."

Mettaton stared at it. "…I need to scan this—"

Felix grabbed the robot. " _I_ need to scan this."

"But—"

"The machines will be at it for hours. Get some rest."

"Blooky—"

"I'll check on him before and after I set up," the feline assured. "You have far too many patients right now—the last thing we need is a frazzled doctor. Speaking of whom…there's that doctor in Snowdin…we should probably talk to him."

Mettaton nodded slowly. "Right…right…I…"

"I'll call him and tell him what's up in the morning," Felix replied. "Everyone's stable currently—they're drained, but alive, and so long as they don't get hit by another blast, or be stupid and use magic, they'll live.

"…thank you."

The feline smiled. "No problem, Boss. Now shut down. I'll take care of things."

* * *

Grillby groaned softly as he started to wake. His vision faded in and out…where…? He couldn't see… Wearily, he started searching around blindly for his glasses. Where were they—they had to be around here somewhere…

He didn't search for long before something green entered his vision. "Uncle Grillby?"

"Fiona…" he murmured, recognizing her voice, and tilting his head up. "Wh…where am I?"

"You're back in the Underground…we took you and Aunt Muffet back to her parlor. She's right by you…still asleep though…"

"…would we happen to have a pair of glasses lying around, Dear?" he managed, sounded weak and exhausted. "I can't make anything out."

She looked around, and spotted an unused pair on a nightstand. She took them, gently putting them over his eyes. He blinked several times, his vision adjusting before he attempted to get up—though Fiona stopped him once he was sitting. "Fiona…?"

There was a bit of pink in her flames. "I…rather you not get up…"

His flames dimmed to the point that he didn't seem to be casting any light at all. He wasn't following…until he noticed that, despite sitting up, Fiona was still leaning down to look at him. He raised a hand, and then finally took note that he was much smaller than he remembered.

Looking down at himself—he honestly looked like a little child due to how much magic he had lost—and he also noted why Fiona didn't want him to get up any further. Fiona made a worried noise, folding her arms. "I told you to be careful…."

"Well…I'm not dead."

"That's not 'being careful'!" she accused. "Being careful would have involved not getting hurt!"

There was a soft groan, and Fiona clasped her hands over her mouth as the two elementals turned to see Muffet stirring, her hands clenching as she grimaced, and then slowly opened her eyes.

"Dear…?" Grillby called in soft concern.

She moaned, holding herself up slightly as she rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision. The spider frowned in confusion for a moment, looking at the small elemental—before she snapped to attention. "Grillby!" she exclaimed, grabbing him—causing Fiona to turn swiftly as she yanked him close.

"What happened to you!?" She flinched, and put a hand over her head—pausing as she felt bandages on her. Then, she started to remember what had taken place. She remembered the human looming over her—and she grabbed him—and then… "Grillby…"

"I'll be all right," he managed, sinking a little in her hold. "I'm just very tired right now…"

"You are in so much trouble," she managed, resting her head against his.

"…I suppose you could ground me…"

"You're grounded," she stated simply.

"How will we take care of our business then?"

"Um…" Fiona started, turning slightly as the two brought their attention to her. "If…If Michael or Jeremiah would be around to…make sure I'm safe…I…I'll take care of the business the best I can…I know how to make several of your things, so…"

"Only if you want to, and have someone…" Grillby managed. He didn't feel it was safe for her, even after what took place.

"If not, you're staying right here," Muffet assured, and then paused, glancing around. "Dearie, where's Alma and Chara?"

Fiona suddenly looked down at the floor, her light dimming drastically—leaving an odd darkness in the room.

Grillby glanced to her in concern. "…Fiona?"

"…we rescued Frisk," Fiona stated carefully. "They're…they're okay. They're just recovering from what the humans did to them. The other monsters are drained like you are—though Gerson was wounded…"

"…you're not answering the question," Grillby stated worriedly.

Fiona's flames wavered and she stepped back, fidgeting greatly. "…when Mettaton realized you lost them, he and several others scoured the building…they couldn't find them," she managed, her words quivering more and more as she spoke.

Muffet froze, while Grillby's flames nearly went completely still. Numbly, the spider raised a hand to her face. "Wh…why…?" she stammered.

"…some people still managed to escape," Fiona managed. "Because they didn't get backup right away…they…they think they took Alma and Chara…"

The spider's pupils dilated as that sank in. "Oh gods…" she whimpered. "Alma…Chara…they're…they're…"

Grillby gently grabbed one of her lower hands. "Muffet," he soothed. "Calm down—they're likely still alive, from what we have been hearing about the group. They want souls—they wouldn't dare bring such great extents of harm to them…"

"It doesn't matter," she hiccupped. "They have my little Dearies…" She covered her face, shuddering harshly as the reality sank in. The two little ghosts were taken from her—snatched from where they should have been safe.

Quivering, she managed to recuperate—if just slightly, as another realization sank in. Swallowing, she looked up to Fiona. "Dearie…"

"Yes, Aunt Muffet?"

"I don't mean to shove you out…but I need to talk to your Uncle a moment…"

Fiona nodded. "I'll make you two something to eat…" With that, she slipped out the door, while Grillby turned his attention to Muffet.

Once the door closed, Muffet grabbed him tight, tears flowing freely. They slipped down her cheeks, hitting him. Usually, it didn't hurt, but in his smaller form, his flames hissed in protest, though he bit back vocal complaints to the searing pain. "I'm sorry," she managed. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry…?" Grillby asked. "For what?"

"There…there was something I was going to tell you," she whimpered. "But then…all of this started to happen, and I decided to wait until we had Frisk back and now…"

"Muffet? …what's wrong? What was it?"

"I didn't want to tell you like this…Grillby…"

She drew back, so that they were face to face. "…I'm pregnant…"


	100. Just Give Up (Semi-Final)

Grillby was silent as her words sunk in slowly. "You're…expecting," he managed numbly.

She swallowed, and nodded. He was silent for several long moments, before grabbing two of her hands, and looking up, his flames wavering. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" he demanded—though his voice wasn't that loud.

"I didn't want to tell you with everything else like this…" she managed, biting her lip briefly. "I wanted it to be a surprise for when we fixed everything, but now…"

The weakened elemental was silent with conflicting emotions stirring within him, his light brightening and dimming as he thought. He was overjoyed, distraught, and angry, and he wasn't sure which to feel first.

He was worried about Chara and Alma…

He was rather cross with Muffet not telling him before the battle.

And yet…there was some pride and joy that overwhelmed the other emotions, and briefly, he pressed his head against her. Oh, the child was far too young for him to notice its presence, even with his magic at normal levels, but still…it was somewhat comforting.

"…Grillby?"

He raised his head. "I am not happy about not telling me sooner," he stated. "However…" His light dimmed and a soft look came to him, before a gentle glow filled the area around him. "…you have me so conflicted, but…I am happy about this…" The warm glow vanished. "But you need to get to the lab right away and have Mettaton look you over," he chided. "He wasn't looking for a child when he did those simple scans down in the city."

"But I'm not leaving you here," Muffet protested.

"Fiona is here though—"

Muffet grabbed him. "You're coming with me."

"…how?"

"I'll carry you."

His flames darkened out of embarrassment. "That's true, but…" Somehow, his flames darkened further. "That's not the issue."

"It's not?" She looked at him, blinking a few times, before it clicked. "Oh…well, I can fix that." Before Grillby knew it, she had measured his new stature, got silk from her other spiders—and made him an outfit out of it. She even sewed his wedding ring onto a cuff so that he could still have it while he was like this.

It wasn't much longer before they had a meal, and made their way down to the Lab. When they found Mettaton, he had one moment of joy for them—before suddenly scooping up Muffet, and rushing downstairs with her. "Muffet!" he chided as he set her down on a table, instantly beginning scans as Grillby slipped down to get out of the way.

"You were expecting, and you went into a fight—and you were drained—I should not be the last one hearing about this!"

"You're the second one hearing about it," Grillby replied.

"I might as well be the last!"

Though his yelling was out of worry, and eventually, he sighed in relief, looking to Muffet. "Your child should be all right, Darling—just, for the love of the Gods, don't use your magic much…your child needs everything you've got. In other words." He touched her forehead. "Baby first, all other priorities second."

"I agree with this plan," Grillby stated hastily.

Muffet huffed…but smiled a little. At least one child was safe…

* * *

A week passed by, and Frisk raised their head quietly as they heard a door open, and the clacking of claws. Due to Frisk being mostly human, they had been staying at a human hospital—heavily guarded—but that didn't stop Rex from finding them—something they were grateful for.

"Yo, Frisk? How you feeling?"

"Better," they assured—touching the bandages on their head. The scarf was back on their neck where it belonged.

"They said they'd take the bandages off today…"

"Nervous," Frisk mumbled.

Rex gave a grunt as they jumped onto the bed and plopped down next to Frisk, nuzzling them. "Yo, they said that while hurt, you should recover. Your sight might not be perfect, but…it'll heal…"

Frisk nodded, fumbling to find the lizard's shoulders, and hugged them quietly. "…it's lonely at night…" the fusion whispered. "Even with the tiara off…I can't hear them."

"They were drained pretty bad…even you were…seeing as you can't reset right now." The first thing they had done when they got back was look for stars—but Frisk had not felt them.

"It's scary…they were always there before…and now…I can barely sense them…"

"But that means they're still there," Rex assured; giving a little rumble of comfort. "So long as they don't use lose any more magic, they'll get better eventually…

Frisk sighed, pressing their face into the monster's shoulder. "But I want them back now…"

"I know you do…" Rex murmured softly. "But…" They sighed in relief. "I'm glad we got you back, ya know…"

Frisk was quiet. "I'm sorry that I can't reset right now…"

"Don't worry about it," Rex insisted. "If everyone gets better, you won't need it at all."

"I don't like it though. I haven't been…like this since I entered the Underground. I don't have their magic…or mine…I can't even be sure of what will happen to me if I get killed before the magic comes back."

"You're not going to get killed," the other child vowed. "I will stand vigil if I must!"

"I kinda wished the hospital would let you stay…"

Rex gave a sheepish chuckle. "You kidding? Do you have any idea how much trouble I was in when I got home?"

"You were in trouble?" Frisk asked in surprise.

"Well, yeah…I kinda snuck out, after all…"

"Are you grounded?"

"Sorta? I'm allowed to come and visit you at least, but…" They sighed, and plopped their head on Frisk's shoulder. "I can't watch television anymore."

A little grin appeared on the child. "Is that why you're coming to visit? Because there's movies here?"

They could almost see the look of dismay on Rex's face. "What? No, I would never—" They stopped as Frisk burst into a giggling fit. "Oh," Rex replied. "That's funny hm?" they asked as a smile crept along their muzzle.

"Yes~"

"I'll show you funny!" the monster exclaimed.

Frisk squeaked as the monster nuzzled their neck. They squealed, frantically trying to push the lizard away. "No fair—no fair—no fair!"

"Who said I had to play fair?" they teased. "You got yourself into this one." As they continued tickling the squirming child, they flicked their tail, brushing Frisk's side with it. The child shrieked, blindly trying to push Rex away—to no avail.

By the time anyone came in to check on them, Rex had pinned them on their stomach, nuzzling the back of their neck that they struggled to protect. Jeremiah dead-panned at the sight…and then smirked. "I thought you were supposed to protect the Ambassador," he teased.

Rex poked their head up, but kept Frisk pinned as they smiled. "Only I can mess with them?"

Jeremiah snorted and hobbled in. "How's our little Ambassador doing?"

"I'm okay," Frisk assured as they sat up. "What about you?"

"They ask the one who didn't even get scratched," he murmured in amusement. "I've been okay. My leg is a little stiff from all that moving around, but other than that…Michael's back on his feet, but William…" The smile faded a little. "He's still in intensive care…it was pretty bad…"

"He didn't look well," Rex mumbled.

Jeremiah shook his head. "Was beating to a pulp by a crowbar. Cuts and bruises, broken bones, and some internal stuff probably. Not my area of expertise…but, he's alive, and now that he's under all this care, he should recover…"

"Yo…" Rex started softly, but then faltered.

"Hm?"

Frisk 'glanced' up toward Rex's voice. "What of…Clarabelle?"

Jeremiah's eyes narrowed, his smile vanishing all together for a moment. "We've followed procedure with her death, but…I don't think William's getting another assistant for a good while…"

"But who will help him then?"

Jeremiah's grin came back. "What kind of question is that? He has Michael to order around, it'll be fine."

Rex snorted.

"Though," Jeremiah started as he found a place to sit, instantly relaxing his battered leg. "I think I'm going to be helping out a little," he murmured. "I…I still can't believe Clarabelle of all people…someone like that was hovering right by our Leader for years…" His yellow eyes sparked with energy. "I'm not going to let that happen again."

Jeremiah then turned with a little smirk. "Hey, Rex, after this, you're going to have to work hard to keep that title of yours. Michael and I may not be in charge of watching out for Frisk, but we're definitely going to up our game to keep William alive."

"Yo," Rex started with a chuckle. "With…after what happened out there, I think I've got a few methods to delay you…"

"Oh, right, I've been hearing some things about that. All second hand. Mind telling me what's up?"

"Well, you know how I was considered not to have magic…?"

Jeremiah nodded slowly. "I heard about that shortly after meeting you the first time."

"Well…" Rex moved so that Frisk could sit up. "I…told my parents about some strange…things I did, and, we went to the doctor, and we…" Rex laughed shakily, nervous and excited at the same time. "I…do have magic. It's…just been dormant."

"Why would it be dormant though?"

"The doctor said it's…not a magic he's seen before," Rex replied. "There's seven known types…and I don't match any of them."

Jeremiah froze, and perked in curiosity. "A new magic? But…even humans shared the seven types—albeit with differences, but…" He breathed out, shaking his head in disbelief. "What do you know about it?"

"Not a whole lot," Rex admitted. "Just my general abilities, which…well, we learned one thing."

"What's that?"

Rex levitated their dagger in front of them. "I can do this, but…" As the dagger drifted away, almost as soon as it would have been out of arm's reach, it shook, and then fell. "I can only do it really close to me."

"It's still pretty useful for you though," Jeremiah pointed out.

Rex smiled. "Thanks, just…" There was a low mumble.

"What's up?"

"Just how my magic got labelled. It doesn't have a term for it yet, like 'Determination' or 'Integrity', so they're going by its magic color."

"So…what's wrong with that?"

"It's pink," Rex mumbled, slightly embarrassed by it.

Frisk giggled, and snuggled into them. "But I like pink though."

The lizard smiled. "At least there's that…"

Jeremiah chuckled, and then turned as the door opened, a doctor tapping it as he entered. Frisk turned, relaxing as the doctor started to speak.

"I see some visitors snuck in when I had my back turned," he joked, while Rex playfully flicked their tongue out.

"Now how are you, Little One?" he asked as he approached the bed.

"I've been okay…"

"Good to hear," he murmured. "Are you ready for those bandages to be removed?"

Frisk gulped. "I…I think so…"

The doctor patted their head between their horns. "It'll be all right," he soothed, before he began unraveling the bandages. Frisk flinched against the light that greeted them, but at first, they didn't open their eyes. They felt Rex shift around, and felt their face near their own.

"Yo…Frisk?"

Slowly, they opened their dual colored eyes, blinking rapidly.

"Can you see me?"

To say Frisk 'saw' Rex, would be giving their vision a lot of credit. What Frisk saw was a big smudge of color contrasting against the other white blurs surrounding it. Frisk bit their lip. Their vision had a long way to go before it got better. Still…they hugged the monster, and answered: "Yes…I see you."

* * *

Nights were the same to Frisk. They didn't want to sleep, but their body would eventually betray them…and it would begin again. They stood as a human in a black void. They shuddered as the Corruption—in their original form, stepped forth, twirling their blade.

Stop them…stop them and the happy ending could be persevered! Frisk lunged with a cry, racing at the former child. They smirked, crimson orbs glowing as they drove a closed fist into Frisk's stomach. The child coughed as they were forced to the ground. They struggled to get up, looking up as monster souls danced around the other human.

Frisk lunged—and the child vanished.

 _Just give up…_

No! Frisk leapt to their feet. They could defy time and death—they would put things right! …but the resets had failed them.

 _Just give up…_

Frisk spun as the souls started to move, and then they gave chase, eyes wide as they reached desperately, trying to capture them. If they could bring the souls back—the happy ending could still come to them!

One by one, they grabbed them all, holding them close. It'll be okay…they'll fix this…there was a low rumbling, and Frisk turned wildly as the dragon reared its head up out of nothingness…and blasted its attack. They tumbled, shrieking in pain as the souls entered them. They rolled, sliding on their front…and dual colored eyes opened.

 _Just give up…_

No…no, they couldn't! They could fix this, they could fix this! They looked up, seeing Asriel looking down sadly at them—before vanishing into a flurry of petals.

 _Just give up…_

They couldn't. The fusion got shakily up, staggering left and right. The beast monsters…they tried—they did everything they could…but nothing they did would pull through for the creatures.

They didn't want to, but they…

 _Just give up…_

The fusion looked down, not even reacting as hands grabbed them, taking them away. Ropes and chains, shots and pains…a crowd of voices crying out, and then falling silent.

 _Just give up Kid…I did…_ His broken defeated voice echoed in their ears.

They shook and shuddered. They were fighting so hard for their happy ending—that was all they had ever done. Yet, in the end, all they managed was to make it worse, and worse…they failed Asriel…all their friends and family…and now, they were all alone.

"Just give up," they whimpered. "…why am I still fighting, I just…I want to give up…but…"

They suddenly jerked up, eyes blazing as they gave a shout, breaking free of constraints, and falling roughly. "No…" they managed shakily. "Can't give up…if I give up—you won't ever see! I'll stop it—I'll fix everything, I'm not going to give up—because you need that!"

And so time passed by…Weeks…a month, as the monsters started the slow recovery of their magic, and wounds started to heal. However…there was no sign of Reaper's Harvest…the group was in shambles still…

And the nightmares persisted.

* * *

 **MAJOR AUTHOR'S NOTE, PLEASE READ:**

 **This is the end of Corrupted , but not the story. The story continues on ThronesofWar's profile, the writer of Souls Entwined, and Armless Embrace, which I recommend reading before continuing to the next part of Corrupted File, as it's a collab, and things won't make as much sense if you don't read those.**

 **If you have read those, than make your way onto Forging Rifts, which SHOULD be up by the time you're done reading, or very soon after. oWo;**


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